It’s been harped on endlessly, though in reality, it’s only been a few years. But in the NBA, a few years can feel like a lifetime. The Chicago Bulls haven’t been good, and they haven’t been bad. They’ve been stuck in mediocrity—a point that’s been made a million times over.
Still, it’s a point worth making. Chicago is one of the league’s great basketball cities, rich with history. The fans show up, and Bulls gear, especially that iconic Michael Jordan jersey, can be spotted worldwide. The Bulls need to be better, not just for their fans, but for the NBA itself.
Bleacher Report predicts another play-in appearance for Chicago
There’s optimism surrounding the Bulls, but Chicago remains far from contention. Bleacher Report slotted them 21st in its first power rankings of the season and projected just 38 wins—one fewer than a year ago.
Bleacher Report projected Chicago to finish 38-44, 10th in the East, and bound for the much-maligned Play-In Tournament for a third straight year. In his breakdown, Grant Hughes praised the offense, highlighting Coby White, Josh Giddey, and rookie Matas Buzelis, but predicted regression from soon-to-be 35-year-old Nikola Vucevic and a weak defensive showing overall.
Hughes wrote, "Nikola Vučević will turn 35 during the first week of the season. Any expected improvement from second-year forward Matas Buzelis, an undeniably exciting prospect, is only going to offset what should be a precipitous Vučević decline," before offering a more dreary outlook. "Late-career leaps like that are almost never sustainable, and the Bulls have absolutely nothing behind Vučević on the center depth chart."
Hughes wasn’t impressed with Chicago’s center rotation, but he handed out even harsher projections to the Celtics and Pacers after their offseason losses. Boston moved on from Kristaps Porziņģis and saw Al Horford depart in free agency, while Indiana lost Myles Turner. Hughes projected just 37 wins for Boston and 34 for Indiana.
Immediately ahead of the Bulls in Hughes’ projections were the Toronto Raptors (41-41), Miami Heat (42-40), and Philadelphia 76ers (43-39). Hughes, however, was less sure about Philadelphia, noting that any team relying on the health of Joel Embiid and Paul George is a risky bet.
All in all, there’s some optimism in Bleacher Report’s projection, especially with DraftKings setting Chicago’s win total at 32.5. Even with DraftKings' measly projection, Hughes expects the Bulls to exceed that mark by a healthy margin.