The Chicago Bulls have secured a spot in the play-in tournament but shouldn’t be satisfied with this accomplishment. It is a genuine possibility that the Bulls could make it out of the play-in tournament this year. While the team has been inconsistent, they had perhaps their best outing of the season just a few games ago against the Indiana Pacers.
Since then, however, they have lost three of their last five games. This inconsistency causes doubt for the play-in tournament, especially when they’ve lost to teams with bad records. Even so, there is still a glimpse of hope. These are three things the Bulls need to do to have success in the playoffs.
Let Javonte Green “cook.”
The Bulls signed Green for the remainder of the season on Thursday after impressing during his 10-day contract. While Green has been efficient since his first signing, he’s been fantastic over his last two games.
After notching 25 points and 13 rebounds in 33 minutes against New York, Green got the start on Sunday night and followed his breakout game with a 15-point performance. While his scoring has been great over the last two games, it’s his efficiency that’s truly astounding.
Over his last two games combined, Green has scored 40 points in 55 minutes, on 16-21 shooting from the field and 3-5 shooting from beyond the arc. If he keeps this level of production up, the Bulls could become a serious threat.
As crazy as it sounds, having Green provide solid offensive production makes the team much more well-rounded. Not only does Green provide great offense, but he’s had a combined seven stocks (steals + blocks) over his last two games. This is the kind of two-way player that can have a great impact on the Bulls’ success in the playoffs.
Spread the wealth.
While this expression can have many meanings, in this case, it’s referring to keeping the weight off one person’s shoulders. The Bulls, even with Green, don’t have a ton of depth. It will be very hard for a player like DeRozan to have a heightened workload and continue to produce at a high level every night.
Fortunately, a few players who start for the Bulls can take on a hefty share of the scoring, but this also sticks with the theme of inconsistency. White has been fantastic this season, but he hasn’t been very consistent in shooting or scoring the ball as of late.
Green’s consistency is also up in the air as he’s only played in five games for the Bulls this season. Even so, with enough viable scoring options, there shouldn’t be too much pressure on anyone’s shoulders to handle the workload.
Assuming the Bulls take on the Boston Celtics, it would be an accomplishment to just take one game from them. That said, it’s more than possible if everyone can play to their strengths and pull their weight.
Use their secret weapon.
We’ve previously written about the Bulls’ secret weapon, who helped Chicago pull off an upset in last year’s play-in tournament. This weapon was DeMar DeRozan’s screaming daughter, who helped hold the Toronto Raptors’ free-throw percentage to just 50% as a team.
The Bulls will need to utilize this weapon any chance they get, especially if they have to match up with the Miami Heat, who got lucky and didn’t have to face this weapon. Perhaps this year a matchup with the Heat could have a different outcome.