The picture of what this Chicago Bulls team will officially look like for second-year head coach Billy Donovan heading into the regular season is almost completely cleared up. And we’re also getting a good idea of what the player’s attitudes and confidence levels are looking like after a very solid run during an undefeated four-game preseason slate.
The Bulls look to sit in a really good position heading into the regular season in just a few days. Following the 4-0 run during the preseason slate, Donovan and the Bulls should be a real postseason contender in the Eastern Conference during the 2021-22 campaign.
Highlighting this Bulls roster heading into the regular season are stars like center Nikola Vucevic, shooting guard/forward DeMar DeRozan, and shooting guard Zach LaVine. Each of those three Bulls players has at least one All-Star nod under their belt. And that trio has an impressive seven All-Star selections combined in their careers.
The spotlight will remain on LaVine at this point. Even though the Bulls made so many moves to bring in other big names since the trade deadline last season, such as DeRozan, Vucevic, point guard Lonzo Ball, etc., LaVine should remain the focal point of this team.
Chicago Bulls ready to have a winner in star Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine, with a laugh, when asked his goals for the Bulls’ upcoming season: “Win, by any means necessary. And I’ll be OK with that.”
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) October 18, 2021
LaVine sounds like he’s really ready to go this season and prove that he is a winner in all aspects. On Oct. 18, LaVine mentioned that he wants the Bulls to “win, by any means necessary” this season, and that he’ll “be ok with that”.
Considering that LaVine has never been a part of a winning team, or made it to the postseason in seven years in the NBA to date, it makes so much sense that he’s carrying this type of chip on his shoulder ahead of the start of the regular season. This is the best chance that LaVine had in his NBA career to date to make a solid postseason run.
The Bulls got pretty close to the postseason during the 2020-21 campaign. But a 31-41 record was not quite good enough for LaVine and the Bulls to break the four-year-long postseason drought, or even get into the play-in tournament.
LaVine and the Bulls wrapped up the preseason on Oct. 15 with a win at home at the United Center by a double-digit margin over the Memphis Grizzlies. The regular season slate opens up on Oct. 20 on the road against the Detroit Pistons.