Following a tough eight-point loss at the hands of the star-studded Brooklyn Nets and head coach Steve Nash on May 11 at home at the United Center, the Chicago Bulls are reeling in their quest to make the postseason. The Bulls now have really poor odds to make it into the postseason. They really needed to win out, with either the Washington Wizards or the Indiana Pacers losing most of the rest of their games down the stretch.
This loss to the Nets was partly a wake-up call for the Bulls and first-year head coach Billy Donovan. The Bulls now hold a record of 29-40 following this May 11 loss. And there are only three games remaining for the Bulls to salvage any last hopes of making it to the postseason.
Yet, according to Basketball Reference’s playoff probability numbers, the Bulls only have a 0.3 percent chance of making the postseason at this point. Most hopes seem to be lost at this point for them.
Hope does still remain for what this Bulls team can do next season, though. The star duo of shooting guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic does instill a lot of confidence in the fact that this team is headed to the postseason in 2022. But that doesn’t take away from some of the disappoint that remains if the Bulls do in fact miss even the play-in tournament this year.
Kevin Durant says he likes the Bulls and think they have a good future: "Zach [LaVine], Vooch [Nikola Vucevic] and Coby [White], I feel like, are the key pieces to this team -- and Patrick Williams."
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) May 12, 2021
Kevin Durant lauds the Chicago Bulls’ stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic
One of the Nets’ top stars, forward Kevin Durant, did give a nod to some of the Bulls players he feels provides this team with a bright outlook in the near future. He mentioned the obvious names LaVine and Vooch as key pieces for the team, but also gave nods to second-year point guard Coby White and rookie forward Patrick Williams.
It’s hard to argue with the fact that Williams and White won’t be a significant part of the Bulls’ future. And the Bulls could have two potential All-NBA caliber players with them in LaVine and Vooch.
Getting this type of shoutout from a superstar the level of KD is something noteworthy for the Bulls. And this level of recognition isn’t really something that was found in Chicago under former head coaches Jim Boylen and Fred Hoiberg.
KD put on display just how dangerous a contending team like the Nets can be. The Bulls won’t be too far behind them if their young players keep properly developing, and they’re able to potentially land one more star. Getting Vooch in the mix at the trade deadline back on March 25 was a step in the right direction seemingly for the Bulls.
Next up for LaVine, Vooch, and the Bulls is a meeting with the Toronto Raptors at home at the United Center on May 13. After facing the Raptors at home on May 13, they only have matchups against the divisional foe Milwaukee Bucks and another one with the Nets left on the regular season schedule.