Chicago Bulls: Nikola Vucevic helped put the nail in the Nets coffin

At 7-3, the Chicago Bulls hot start has them tied with the Miami Heat and Washington Wizards for the second-best record in the East. Along the way, they have answered several of the questions that dogged them entering the campaign. Chief among them has been the fit of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.

The duo is fifth (LaVine) and sixth (DeRozan) in the league in scoring.

LaVine’s numbers are down slightly, particularly from three. Though he is shooting a career-high 90.2 percent from the free-throw line. DeRozan meanwhile is averaging the second-most points of his career while having a career-year efficiency-wise from downtown at 39.1 percent.

Something has largely been missing, however. A big something at that.

Nikola Vucevic’s fourth-quarter effort versus the Nets is a good sign for the Chicago Bulls

It’s been a struggle for Nikola Vucevic individually even amid the team’s success. He’s averaging his fewest points since his second year in the NBA on a career-low 37.8 percent shooting. The 6-foot-11 is also shooting his lowest percentage from outside since he began shooting them with any regularity.

The three-point shooting has been especially surprising because he is shooting them at a lower rate than last season. But, like the easiest of shots have been for him, they just haven’t fallen as they normally would.

It seemed to be much of the same after he was 1-of-7 for just two points in the first half.

He did, however, grab seven boards, have two assists, and swat a couple of shots. Things really weren’t better immediately after the break as he notched another two lowly points and shot a poor 1-of-4 from the floor in the third quarter.

At that point, he was 0-for-2 from outside.

Vooch came alive in the fourth, going a perfect 3-for-3 for seven points (all within the final seven minutes), knocking down his only attempt from three, and notching one steal, one assist, and a block to just one turnover.

It is a small sample size, sure. But its importance cannot be overstated.

Coming into the game against Brooklyn, Vucevic had shot 30.1 percent overall over the Bulls’ previous four games and 14.3 percent from three over their last three outings. Both would easily be the worst efficiency numbers of his career. Hopefully, his small part in the Bulls’ 42-17 advantage in the fourth quarter is a sign of what’s to come for him and this team.

If so, the Bulls will be even better than they have been at the outset of this campaign.

They next play on Wednesday when they’ll host Luka Doncic and the 7-3 Dallas Mavericks. The Bulls won both meetings last season, only one of which Doncic was active for.