The Chicago Bulls come out of the All-Star break 16-18 with 38 games remaining.
The Chicago Bulls are just under .500 as we enter the second half of the NBA season following the All-Star break. Their 16-18 record has them in the 9th spot in the competitive eastern conference playoff picture. Its clear things can go in two very different directions from here, which is why we’re looking ahead to predict how the rest of the Bulls season will play out.
The team is 6-4 in their last 10 games and playing good basketball all around. A playoff spot is very much within reach if the Bulls maximize their remaining games and return to full health in the near future.
While some fans will continue to desire to see the team fully blow things up and focus on a more long-term rebuild, that isn’t going to happen. Even if the Bulls make a move or two prior to the deadline, such as shipping out a veteran like Garrett Temple or Thaddeus Young, this roster isn’t going to get bad enough to tank in the standings over the course of their remaining games.
At best (for anyone looking for a high lottery pick this offseason), would be the Bulls missing the playoffs and getting some lottery luck. There’s no real avenue to this group dropping to the level of teams such as the Detroit Pistons or Minnesota Timberwolves in the standings.
Much more reasonable is the Bulls continue developing and growing under head coach Billy Donovan and see themselves climb in the eastern conference. That lines up with what is expected the rest of the way from players such as Zach LaVine and second-year guard Coby White.
In January the Bulls went 5-8 before February saw them go 8-6. There’s only so far that winning percentage is going to climb month by month, but it can absolutely hover around the .500 mark. That’s the most likely result the rest of the way, with a solid chance the team closes their remaining games out with a slightly above .500 winning percentage.
Chicago Bulls Rest of Season Prediction: 20-18
Going 20-18 in their remaining 38 games would see the Bulls finish the regular season with a 36-36 record. It’s far better than many expected entering this season but not quite where fans want to see their team.
Still, a .500 record with so much to be excited about in terms of the team’s future would be a great start to the Artūras Karnišovas era in Chicago.