The Chicago Bulls have completed their four-game preseason with a record of 3-1. The preseason was extremely short this season, but it was enough to pick up some good and bad things heading into the regular season.
The new Bulls’ regime made F Patrick Williams from Florida State University its first draft pick at number four. This pick was met with skepticism, but the way this 19-year-old played in the final preseason game validated what the Bulls saw in him. While his numbers (29MINS 7PTS 3REB 2AST) weren’t mindblowing, but having him start was extremely significant. It may be signaling that he will be starting for the Bulls in the regular season.
As the second youngest draft pick, the coaching staff admitted that Williams would be a long term project for the Bulls. However, it seems that he has adapted to the NBA much quicker than anticipated. At least enough to give the Bulls enough confidence to start him over F Otto Porter. Porter also played in the preseason finale (20MIN 4PTS 8REB 2AST) but he didn’t impress and might become a bench option heading into the season. This is excellent news for those of us who are ready to move on from the Gar Forman and Jim Boylen era.
G Zach Lavine and G Coby White will be a ton of fun to watch this season. They did not disappoint in the preseason. These two were scoring at will, giving the Bulls one of the more dynamic backcourts in the league. White has a great chance to make huge strides this season. He should be getting significant minutes compared to 2019-20. In his rookie season, the Bulls didn’t really use White until midway through the season. Lavine has a great chance to make the All-Star team and put a stamp on his claim as one of the top-scoring guards in the league. I can easily see this duo outscoring anybody.
F Lauri Markkanen looks to have his confidence and swagger now that Jim Boylen was finally pushed out the door. Lauri has been another pre-season bright spot for the Bulls. He looked like a whole different player compared to the past two seasons. If the Bulls can get a confident Lauri to go with White and Lavine, they will possess one of the scariest trios in the league. In other words, they should have no problem scoring against any team.
The Bulls gave us plenty of things to be excited about during the pre-season , but there were also some things to worry about. The Bulls don’t have a true starting PG on the roster right now, which is very detrimental in today’s NBA. I love White and Lavine, but neither are true PG, nor do they play that way. The Bulls have four other G’s on the roster, but these are wasted roster spots, aside from Devon Dotson.
I hope the Bulls address this issue through upcoming trades. Some awful contracts that need to be addressed are F Otto Porter, F Thaddeus Young, and F Cristiano Felicio. Other players that didn’t live up to their draft status or just don’t fit on this team are F/C Wendell Carter Jr, G Thomas Satorinsky, G Denzel Valentine, and G Ryan Arcidiacono. I think Carter and Porter are two players that can be leveraged to bring in a quality PG. Carter has never been worth the price tag that came with being a seventh overall draft pick. However, he is still 21 years old, and teams are willing to take a chance on a young big man. On the other hand, Porter has an awful contract to move, but he could help a playoff-bound team with depth.
The last thing that worries me is the effort that the Bulls have been showing on the defensive end. So far, in the preseason, it has been quite atrocious. I know the Bulls are trying to wash away whatever basketball coaching for dummies plan that Jim Boylen implemented, but I didn’t see the effort needed to become a competitive basketball team. Head Coach Billy Donavan is implementing a whole new game plan, which will take time, but seeing the lack of effort already, doesn’t leave me very optimistic for the regular season.
Overall, I think we should see an extremely improved Chicago Bulls team, compared to the past three seasons. I do anticipate a long wait before we start seeing their full potential. 2020-21 might not be the year we see the Bulls in the playoffs, but these building blocks are a step in the right direction. By the end of the season, I think we will begin to see who the core of this team should be and if Donovan is the right guy to lead this team. Be excited that basketball is back, but don’t have high expectations for the Bulls. This season will still be a struggle, but the Bulls should look better as they move through the season.