A lot has already changed for the Chicago Bulls.
The departures of both DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso sent this organization into the youth movement that so many wanted. Meanwhile, the days for Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic in Chicago have felt numbered, as both have been rumored multiple times in trade talks. This ongoing transformation is undoubtedly refreshing, especially after the back-to-back losing seasons that followed one measly five-game first-round exit. The Bulls had been jogging in a circle for years, and they now at least found some sense of direction, right?
- If things feel different now, just wait until the ball is actually tipped! The basketball we see at the United Center next season might very well look like a new sport. Chicago now has a roster built around young and motivated playmakers who love to get up the floor. Josh Giddey is going to set an entirely different offensive tone. Matas Buzelis is going to search for poster dunks. Patrick Williams will have more on-ball scoring opportunities than ever before. And if Coby White was handed the car keys last year, he’ll be cruising with the top down on I-90 this year. For a Bulls team that was prioritizing the opposite of development in recent seasons, following these players will be a breath of fresh air.
- Billy Donovan has always wanted to play fast, and this roster will give him the opportunity. Chicago ranked 18th and 28th in PACE over the last two years, respectively. They also ranked just 22nd in points per game during both seasons. Today’s league is built heavily around offensive versatility and firepower. While inexperienced in many ways, the Bulls will likely have a way easier time finding an identity on that end of the floor this year.
- Now, none of this means the basketball will be good. Might the team play faster? Yes. Might we feel better about the future? Mhm. But we should get it into our heads now that the product on the floor is bound to be pretty darn awful at times. Like, we’re talking considerably worse than the end of the “Big 3” era. The Bulls at least had DeMar DeRozan to bail them out at the end of games or Alex Caruso to lock down the opposing team’s best player. Things only get worse in the short term when you take away talent like that. So, yes, I’m more hopeful going into the 2024-25 season than I have been going into the past several seasons, but I recognize that rebuilds (or whatever the Bulls pretend to call it) aren’t pretty. I expect some frustrated fans by early December.
- What if Zach LaVine and/or Nikola Vucevic play well? The easy answer is that you swiftly take advantage of that in the trade market. Unfortunately, this front office doesn’t always go with the easy answer. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have some legitimate concerns about Arturas Karnisovas aborting the mission. I could envision a nice bounceback from either veteran tricking the Bulls into believing they can quickly reconstruct a “competitive” team. To be sure, I’m glad they haven’t caved and given up assets to get rid of either player, but moving them remains the next big step in showing fans they are committed to a new era.
- I’m really going to need Dalen Terry to show us something this season.
We've seen Ayo and Coby with Johnny Dribble2much
Now here's some Dalen Terry working on those handles and shooting off the dribble
🎥 dribble2much (IG) pic.twitter.com/MfJIrh64i8
— Chicago Bulls Chat – See Red UK (@SeeRedUK) July 25, 2024
- The guys over at CHGO were arguing about whether the Bulls should prioritize Cooper Flagg or merely prioritize the development that comes with a youth movement. Um … Porque no los dos? Look, I think we can all accept that lottery odds are a crapshoot. We need to be ready for a world where the Bulls tank their butts off and don’t land the top spot in the 2025 NBA Draft. Does that mean they shouldn’t have the highest pick possible in mind, though? Another Play-In Tournament appearance is useless, and the Bulls will lose their first-round pick this season if it doesn’t land within the top 10. You don’t start a rebuild without at least some active pursuit of draft capital. And, hey, it doesn’t hurt that this next year’s draft is considered pretty darn deep.
Tank hard for Cooper Flagg, or prioritize youth development and not worry about lottery odds?@BawlSports & @Bulls_Peck disagree. What do YOU think, Bulls Nation? pic.twitter.com/ivHAoBpptm
— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) July 25, 2024
- GIVE US THE VIDEO YOU COWARDS!
THIS PHOTO OF ANT DUNKING OVER KD IN TEAM USA PRACTICE 😳🔥
📸: Garrett W. Ellwood pic.twitter.com/YIoGIb77KG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 25, 2024
