Predicting the Next Chicago Bulls 1-On-1 Champion

1. Red Division

(#1) Zach LaVine vs (#16) Max Strus

Our first matchup sees the runner-up from the much-publicized Run With Us episode, Zach LaVine, take on local product Max Strus. One is the Bulls hyper-athletic, team-leading scorer and the other is Strus. A first-year player who spent 2019 split between the G-League and dealing with a torn ACL after just two NBA appearances.

This is where that theory about equal opportunity comes to die. LaVine, 12th in the NBA in scoring, has a deep bag that he got into knocking off seven-footer Lauri Markkanen before squaring off against Arcidiacono last time. No surprises, he takes out Strus in short order.

Winner: LaVine

(#4) Tomas Satoransky vs (#13) Denzel Valentine

Upset alert! Thanks to several factors (all with a common denominator of Jim Boylen) we get this matchup. Thanks to the head coach’s staunch refusal to move rookie Coby White into the starting lineup, we got Tomas Satoransky and his often shot-avers offense. Boylen ball had Denzel Valentine, a good shooter on a team without many, spent much of the season watching.

Sato finds himself in a similar position as Harrison. His best abilities (passing and vision) are neutralized in this situation. Now, he had a strong FIBA tournament last summer but his NBA game has been much different. Meanwhile, Valentine has never seen a shot he didn’t like; often overshadowing his advanced passing. No matter, he doesn’t need it to topple Satoransky.

Winner: Valentine