It is starting to become clear for first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls what pieces of the team are going to be crucial over a longer term than just this season. The Bulls have now had more than a half of the 2020-21 regular season slate to figure out what the new direction of this rebuild will be under a fresh front office regime.
Donovan and the Bulls are one of the more improved teams in the Eastern Conference at this point of the season, now sporting a record of 18-20 following their dominant win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 16. They have won two games in a row, which is a nice turnaround after losing their initial two following the conclusion of the All-Star Break last week.
Moving forward, the Bulls need to continue to build up this young core in the right direction while getting more into the thick of playoff contention. The Bulls were finally able to coincide in succeeding in these two goals in the first half of the regular season, for the first time during this now four year long rebuild.
How the Chicago Bulls can proceed down the stretch
Strategies built around the trade deadline, looming NBA Draft, and the upcoming offseason, all should hinge on the most valuable pieces of the core. It’s not so much the “young core” that is integral to the Bulls success moving forward under the direction of the new front office, but who can continue to build this team up in the East in the coming years.
With that in mind, here’s a look into three cornerstone players that have emerged for the Bulls this season.