The 2024-25 NBA season has been a season of change for the Chicago Bulls.
Shifting their focus to their younger players while also highlighting their veteran stars, the Bulls have looked much different from the team they were last season.
While there are differing opinions on the direction the Bulls are taking, there are three stats all Bulls fans should be thankful for so far this season.
3 things Bulls fans should be thankful for in 2024-25
Chicago's Pace
A team that has historically been one of the slowest teams in the league, the Chicago Bulls have made a drastic change as they have shifted their focus to a younger team.
From the 2020-21 season to the 2023-24 season, the Bulls' pace (number of possessions per 48 minutes) was 99.58 (13th in the NBA), 98.76 (14th), 99.18 (18th) and 96.94 (28th), respectively.
Through their first 20 games this year, the Bulls have a pace of 104.90, which leads all 30 teams.
The Bulls' quick rise can be attributed to a few different factors. What may be the biggest of all is the departure of DeMar DeRozan.
The Bulls' pace was lower in all three seasons of DeRozan's tenure compared to the season before he signed with the team. His iso-ball slowed down the team, but with his departure to the Sacramento Kings, the Bulls have been able to move the ball quicker.
Having distributors in the returning Lonzo Ball and newly acquired Josh Giddey has also played into the Bulls' increased pace. Even though Ball has just returned from a wrist injury, the two guards have been able to move the ball down the court much faster compared to the team last season.
In addition to the Bulls' two key distributors, the overall youth of the team has allowed the team to move the ball much faster.
Chicago's 3-point attempts and makes
Along with the Bulls' pace has come a massive change in their three-point shooting.
Last season, Chicago shot 32.1 threes per game, which ranked 26th in the league. In 2022-23, they were last with an average of 28.9 shots from deep. In 2021-22, they were again last, trailing the Washington Wizards by nearly two total attempts per game.
This season, the Bulls are shooting 42.5 threes a night, which ranks third in the league behind the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets.
Their accuracy from deep has risen as well.
Last year, Chicago shot 35.8 percent from three. In 2022-23, that number was 36.1. In 2021-22, it was 36.9. (It's important to keep in mind that the Bulls' low volume played a role in increasing those percentages.)
This year, despite that dramatic increase in attempts, head coach Billy Donovan's team is shooting 38.3 percent from three, which ranks fifth in the league.
The Bulls are playing faster and shooting and making more threes; even if the results haven't changed much in the win-loss column, Chicago is a much more fun team for fans to watch.
Zach LaVine's stats
The 2023-24 season was one of the worst seasons of Zach Lavine's career for multiple reasons. Reports of him being open to a trade did not help the chemistry on the court and his actions off the court did not help either.
Lavine averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists in only 25 games before having a season-ending surgery.
In 17 games this season, Lavine is averaging 21.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.4 blocks. He has had a bounce back in scoring, nearing the scoring average of his two All-Star seasons.
His rebounding is just shy of his career-high of 5.2 from the 2023-24 season. Known as a shoot-first player, Lavine's 4.3 apg has shown he is more willing to defer and set up other players while getting his own shots.
Two stats that have not gone unnoticed so far this season: Lavine is shooting a career-high from both the field and three, shooting 51.0 and 43.4, respectively. Lavine has always been respected as a three-point shooter during his time in Chicago, but he is showing what he is truly capable of this season.
With Lavine's contract being one of the main reasons he has not been moved in a trade over the last couple of seasons, his 2024-25 stats have boosted trade value in the eyes of potential trade partners.
Having a tremendous bounce-back season so far, Lavine's play could land him his third All-Star nod, something that would only help boost his overall trade value.