Why Bulls Fans Should Just Enjoy the Ride
The Chicago Bulls are the hottest team in the league, leaving fans wondering if they should embrace the team’s jump in the standings.
The Chicago Bulls won again as they controlled the game from start to finish, making shockingly easy work of the Indiana Pacers.
It was the Bulls third straight win — all over teams that would be in the playoffs if they started today — and all convincing wins. Their net rating over that trio of games is an impressive plus-9.2. Not only that, it marked Chicago’s 10th win in 12 games.
It’s also the best record in the NBA since Dec. 8.
The last time they mustered a stretch like this started in December of 2014, when they had a run of 13 wins in 15 tries. That was way back when Jimmy Butler was shocking everyone as an emerging star and Derrick Rose was still a Bull we hadn’t all given up on.
Now, I’m not saying that means they’re the best team in the NBA. I’m also not saying that means they’re going to be a threat to get to the Finals. But maybe it’s time to accept that the Bulls aren’t the worst team in the league, aren’t going to finish with the worst record, and might be better than we thought they’d be.
I get the logic. The Bulls don’t have that one MVP-caliber talent who is going to raise the Bulls to the perennial ranks of contender, become the next Michael Jordan and have the Bulls hanging six rafters in eight years.
But let’s be realistic. No one is. That player doesn’t exist — not in the lottery, not in free agency. Building a contender is as much about luck as it is skill, and even for teams that live in the lottery every year (the Sacramento Kings, for instance), they often show no signs of growth.
The Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets have one player they drafted higher than 10th among them, and no one higher than seventh — that being Stephen Curry. So, this notion that to build a contender requires a top-three pick is not only fallacious — it’s false.
The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t really build through the draft, and they had a fantastic string of luck, getting three first-round picks in consecutive years. But of those three players, none are still on the team, and only one (Kyrie Irving) ever played a significant role.
Andrew Wiggins was an asset that got them Kevin Love, though. I suppose you could say Anthony Bennett was too.
We could go on. Sure, the Philadelphia 76ers look promising after years of prolonged failure and have at least two potential franchise players in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. One way to go is the “Process” oriented way of thinking (which has yet to produce a playoff bid, though).
But there are more ways than one to build a contender, and some Bulls fans seem intent on reducing it down to just one while cementing the certainty that that one will happen.
So, here’s a thought for Bulls fans: Stop your bellyaching about being better than expected and enjoy the ride.
Lauri Markkanen is proving to be so much more than just another European player who doesn’t play defense and only shoots threes. He’s shown he can drive and dunk. He’s got great vision. And he has a manly-man streak in him that lets him do things like this:
Kris Dunn is an emerging two-way player who is, at a minimum a starting point guard for the future and potentially much more. He recently posted 20 points, 12 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks in one game. He’s the first Bull to do that since Michael Jordan and the smattering of players who have also done it are either almost all either in the Hall of Fame or will be.
I know that sounds like a random amalgamation of stats, but it was his box score, and it shows four things: Scoring demonstrates his ability to get points, assists show he can generate for others, steals indicate he can play off-ball defense (jumping passing lanes, etc.) and blocks show his on-ball defensive prowess. So, it’s not quite as random as it might seem and explains why so few have done it.
Zach LaVine has yet to play, but the former two-time dunk champ will be returning soon and will immediately give the Bulls their best shooter and most athletic player.
Denzel Valentine, last year’s first-round pick, has an emerging all-around game and a nice touch around the rim. He’s shooting 76 percent in the paint over the last 10 games.
Bobby Portis has grown immensely. He’s not looking anywhere near as lost on defense. He’s passing more frequently (though, he could still do more). He has a career-high in both true-shooting percentage (56.5) and player-efficiency rating (21.9), according to Basketball-Reference.com.
Jerian Grant is having a breakthrough. Over the last 12 games, he’s averaging 8.3 points and 5.3 dimes per game in just 19 minutes. Here’s his shot chart:
David Nwaba is their diamond in the rough — the Los Angeles Lakers castoff is thriving in Chicago, bringing the kind of gutty play and workman mentality that Jimmy Butler possessed.
Nikola Mirotic may or may not be around for the future, but the way he’s playing certainly assures a higher return for him if he gets traded. The same goes with Robin Lopez. If they do get moved, those assets the Bulls get in return only aid with the rebuild.
Regardless, the fact that the young Bulls are playing so much better than expected can only be a positive.
Sure, maybe this is just a blip on the radar and the Bulls will return to sucking soon. Maybe they’ll trade Mirotic and plunge back to the depths of hell.
Or maybe they’re just improving and better than expected and this is a good thing. If your entire thesis rests on drafting for the future and you’re complaining about the future playing too well, you might have your priorities backward.
At the very least, my TV isn’t trying to commit suicide when I watch them more and my eyeballs aren’t trying to escape from my head. So, there’s that. Just enjoy the ride, Bulls fans. It’s all you can do.
Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com.
