Most Chicago Bulls fans were nervously awaiting the drop of the proverbial "other shoe" when their team got off to an unexpected 5-0 start this season. And, of course, it did drop; Chicago lost five of its next six and plummeted from the top of the Eastern Conference standings to eighth.
But those same fans can feel at least a little comfortable getting their hopes up again, because the Bulls have one of the easiest -- if not the easiest -- remaining schedules of all 30 NBA teams.
Does that guarantee success? Of course not. But with the way Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Nikola Vucevic and several other key players are producing (not to mention the imminent return of Coby White), it's fair to believe another hot streak is coming; one that will hopefully last longer than a few weeks.
Chicago Bulls have one of the NBA's easiest remaining schedules
Head coach Billy Donovan has already had to steer his team through games against the Detroit Pistons (first in the East) twice, Atlanta Hawks (fifth), New York Knicks (second) twice, Philadelphia 76ers (sixth), Milwaukee Bucks (seventh), Cleveland Cavaliers (third) and San Antonio Spurs (fifth in the West).
Per Power Rankings Guru, Chicago has played the second-toughest slate in the league so far this season. But according to that same formula, it has the eighth-easiest the rest of the way.
Tankathon goes a step further, declaring that the Bulls have the easiest remaining schedule of all 30 teams.
Chicago played 10 of its first 11 against teams with an above .500 record, all of whom will presumably be playoff-bound at the end of the season. Things flip dramatically over the final 71 games.
The Bulls play 11 combined games against the three worst teams in the NBA: four against the Indiana Pacers, four against the Brooklyn Nets and three against the Washington Wizards. Those teams have a collective record of 3-34.
There are also five games against the three worst teams in the West: Two against the New Orleans Pelicans (2-10), two against the Dallas Mavericks (3-10) and one against the Sacramento Kings (3-10), whom the Bulls beat 126-113 at the United Center on Oct. 29.
For those who aren't counting, that's 16 games against the NBA's six worst teams. Even accounting for a few minor injuries and a couple of slip-ups, that should be at least another 10-12 wins for Chicago.
That doesn't guarantee the Bulls a top-eight seed in the East by any means, but it also doesn't mean nothing. They have an easier road to the playoffs -- not just the postseason -- than almost any other team in the league. Now they just have to make sure another, bigger shoe doesn't drop.