Although they’ve had far more terrible seasons than successful ones, few teams in NBA history have ever managed to collect as much hardware as the Chicago Bulls. During their ’90s dynasty run, they’d go on to win a multitude of honors, including five Most Valuable Player awards, a Sixth Man of the Year award, a Defensive Player of the Year award, and of course six championship rings.
This century hasn’t been quite as kind, however, as the franchise has only had four players win one of the NBA’s end-of-season awards in the last 25 years. While each of these players has engraved themselves in the annals of Bulls’ history, there’s hope the best has yet to come.
- Jimmy Butler – 2015’s MIP
- Joakim Noah – 2014’s DPOY
- Derrick Rose – 2011’s MVP
- Ben Gordon – 2005’s 6MOY
The future doesn’t have to look so bleak, as the Bulls may actually have a solid chance to win a multitude of awards this season if all goes according to plan.
Here’s a look at 3 end-of-season awards the Chicago Bulls should be in contention for during the 2022-23 season.
3. Patrick Williams – Most Improved Player
From the day Patrick Williams was drafted, a large portion of the fanbase was skeptical about his ability to live up to the lofty expectations associated with his status as the No. 4 overall selection. Many thought the Bulls reached to draft Williams, and that there were other talents worth picking above Pat.
However, aside from Tyrese Haliburton (who went No. 12 overall), there’s no other player selected after Pat in the 2020 NBA Draft lottery that I would trade him for. As a whole, the entire draft class outside of the top 3 looks quite weak, with only a few standouts like Tyrese Maxey and Desmond Bane being selected in the late first round.
For that reason, instead of worrying about what could have been, I’ll be turning my attention toward what’s yet to come.
While Williams has been promising in spurts during his time in Chicago, he has yet to put it all together and achieve statistical success. In 88 games with the Bulls, he’s averaged a meager 9.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.
That’s less of a criticism of his game, however, and more of an indictment of how much room is left for Williams to continue growing. He’s been extremely efficient in his small role — even posting a ridiculous 63.7% true shooting percentage last season — but Chicago is still waiting for him to take that next leap and assume a larger role.
If an offseason’s worth of training alongside DeMar DeRozan helps him take that next step, then a fully healthy Williams could easily become the NBA’s next Most Improved Player award winner in 2023.