Expectations, just like opinions, have changed for the Chicago Bulls

If nothing else, this has been the most fun start to a season for the Chicago Bulls (15-8) in quite some time. That’s to say nothing off where they will end up. But it is worth mentioning for a franchise that had gotten futility down to a science. Things certainly have changed in just one year and eight months since Arturas Karnisovas was hired.

Further, the on-court product looked better immediately and has only continued to improve since Billy Donovan was brought in 15 months ago.

A totally re-made roster will do that for you, as the Bulls have gotten rid of every player to don the uniform for them in 2020 except for Zach LaVine and Coby White. Additions like Nikola Vucevic last season and DeMar DeRozan this year have served to raise the team’s profile.

Their defensive performances, often keyed by role players Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, have also helped to raise expectations.

The Chicago Bulls early-season performance has changed opinions and raised expectations

Sitting in the second seed in the East, just two losses behind the conference-leading Brooklyn Nets and a win above the Washington Wizards, through a quarter of the season, the Bulls are officially beyond playoff-hopeful status and squarely in the ‘contenders’ category. Exactly what for is still to be determined but they are well on their way to it.

DeRozan and LaVine have teamed to give the Bulls the NBA’s only pair of top-10 scoring teammates.

Ball and Caruso have keyed a feisty Bulls defense that is ninth in scoring and steals. White was still trying to prove he could be the much-needed bench threat before testing positive for COVID.

The Bulls have done this while being “undersized” and mostly without Patrick Williams.

It has reached the point where their biggest critics over the summer have changed their tune, calling the Bulls one of the top teams in the East.

They are correct.

There was some concern after blowing a big lead against the Portland Trail Blazers and losing to the Indiana Pacers. It was borderline a panic when the (at the time) one-win Houston Rockets got victory number two on their heads.

Over an 82-game season, there are inevitable ebbs and flows; nights when the team just won’t have it. But these Bulls have shown the ability to play smothering defense even as they struggle to find their rhythm offensively. That’s what made those losses so frustrating because they were so out of character.

And, while they once again blew a big lead, this time to the New York Knicks, they found a way to pull off the win anyway.

That is the kind of thing that pays dividends down the road in the postseason.

Hopefully, this was a sign they have figured something out for these situations. Having Nikola Vucevic go for 27 points and seven rebounds, stringing together good games for the first time this season, certainly helps.

Going forward, they can no longer be viewed as a ‘surprise’ team. They’re here. Perhaps a little ahead of schedule, but here nonetheless. Teams are already gunning for them. Fans are (rightfully) thinking at least second-round and beyond come playoff time. They will have to conduct themselves game-in and game-out accordingly.