5. Keep injuries to a minimum
Bulls fans are used to freak accidents and plain bad luck when it comes to injuries, but who could’ve seen the variety and severity of them that plagued the Bulls’ 2018-19 campaign? Players missed a combined total of 276 games due to injury last year, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune.
A right-elbow strain, a left sprained ankle, a sprained left MCL, an injured left thumb, and a fractured right toe. These were just some of the nagging injuries that never seemed to go away from the young, promising Bulls core, namely Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., Denzel Valentine, Kris Dunn, and Chandler Hutchison.
For many, playing ball has been the focus of their entire lives. Not being able to play hurts in more ways than one. Markkanen, who really put in work last offseason to bulk up and improve his game, ended up missing the first 23 games of the season, and took an extra 10 or so to get back in rhythm with the team. The Bulls can’t afford to lose that rhythm this year.
Despite it all, is it likely the Bulls would’ve made a playoff run in 2018-19? Probably not. With the lack of true depth and talent on the team last year, the Bulls just had no chance at a successful season.
But if they Bulls young core can stay healthy this year, especially LaVine, who’s primed for a breakout All Star campaign, and wing Otto Porter Jr., who’s proven a worthy addition to the roster with clutch shooting ability and sorely needed plus defense at an already thin position, the Bulls can begin to make a play for a lower playoff seed if they can stay out of injury trouble, and make a few more improvements.