We have listened to the voicemail, answered the phone call, and our five-second celebration of dialing out the call has resulted in plenty of high-fives within the whole Chicago Bulls organization. The city of Chicago, our loyal fan base, and the NBA as one are ready to go for the season ahead. Head coach Billy Donovan and staff should be very ecstatic about our 20-man roster going into training camp on Sep. 28.
The discussion of Lonzo Ball breaking onto the scene in Chicago is a lengthy one and is surely a “fun” and “entertaining” one to say the least. Let the bells chime and the hoots and hollers arise as we await to witness a decorated point guard who is a true dimer. This gifted floor general made a living sending out the assists to teammates in L.A. and New Orleans.
He is a pure shooter as well. Ball will be a miraculous addition to the Bulls squad, and his all-around offensive prowess the past four seasons speaks for itself. He will mesh and fit in well with the Bulls system. Ball has proven his worth as a gifted floor general and will make this Bulls roster an even better one.
Alex Caruso makes his way over from the Lakers to create a spark for the Bulls squad. A fundamentally sound guard, Caruso is the definition of an unselfish player. He’s always finding ways to get his teammates involved and will give up that easy shot for a tremendous dime. This guy will do whatever it takes to win and brings a sense of urgency on both ends of the floor. He is another lights-out shooter who will unite well with the other fellow Bulls outside threats.
DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball give Chicago Bulls HC Billy Donovan two new weapons for next season
Our thrill of the assist continues on as we add DeMar DeRozan from the Spurs to the Bulls. This elite passer was just shy of putting up seven dimes a game the ‘20-21 season. We are bringing in another guy who is a true competitor and wants to come out on top.
The Bulls organization is getting a guy that is a definite winner in all walks of life, is a man of high character, and is a team-first guy who has that goal of a championship on his mind every time he steps on the court. The Bulls are looking for another guy who can do it all and has that high-caliber versatility. DeRozan fits this mold in a nutshell and displays the full package both on and off the floor.
To allow some breathing room for Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls bring in a tree by the name of Tony Bradley from the Thunder. This 6-foot-10 big has a bright future in the NBA and will continue to evolve into an elite big man down low. His efficiency to put up the numbers is solid, particularly noting his dominance on the boards. This is another incredible addition for Donovan and the staff.
Speaking of a post player with some serious talent, athleticism, power, and strength, we bring in Marko Simonovic, a swingman who can do it all out on the court. This will also give Vucevic another option down low to tag-team it up with. Coach Donovan is getting a one-of-a-kind, 6-foot-11, center with huge upside. Simonovic comes from Montenegro, where he played with the KK Mega Bemax squad. The wins column will be high for the Bulls with a guy like Simonovic on the floor.
The rest of the Bulls training camp and preseason roster consists of current players, as well as some new faces. Eagerness and elation of seeing rookie Ayo Dosunmu for the first time in the United Center with the No. 12 on his front and back has tons of people at the edge of their seats. Tyler Cook, Stanley Johnson, Alize Johnson, Matt Thomas, Ethan Thompson, Derrick Jones Jr., and Daniel Oturu round out the rest of the newcomers for the Bulls training camp roster.
The current Bulls men (LaVine, Vucevic, Brown Jr., Dotson, Green, White, and Williams) will have their work cut out for them, as these new guys have a ton of sheer talent and skill. The combination of the Bulls present and go-to guys will align and gel tremendously with the new crop of guys.
There are outstanding things in store for the Bulls squad as they tip off their preseason action against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 5. They begin their regular season with an away game against the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 20. They then have their first home opener of the season against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 22.