The Chicago Bulls are 4-0 for the first time in 25 years, the only remaining undefeated team in the Eastern Conference. I was in the United Center on Friday, and the city is very clearly fired up about this team. The UC hasn’t felt like that since Derrick Rose was in a Bulls jersey. Chicago is putting an actual team on the floor again, and you know what? They’re going to be much better than any offseason predictions list assumed they’d be.
The Bulls’ early victories have come against the Detroit Pistons (twice), New Orleans Pelicans, and Toronto Raptors. While they might not be the strongest competition, these are the games that matter for a team like the Bulls. Chicago’s upcoming stretch isn’t easy, with matchups against the Knicks, Jazz, Celtics, Sixers, and Nets comprising their next six games, so victories against lower-tier opponents are vital. Aside from last night’s nail-biter in Toronto, the Bulls aren’t just winning — they’re beating teams down.
Zach LaVine has been the biggest benefactor of the offseason revamp. He’s averaging 25.5 points per game — which is fantastic – but what’s even better is that LaVine doesn’t necessarily have to put up those numbers for the Bulls to win. LaVine has been slow to get going in the first quarter, but the Bulls have had no problem jumping out to big leads, making his explosive outbursts that much more dangerous. He had 20 points in six minutes against the Pelicans — give this man a max contract!
DeMar DeRozan is adding 22.5 points while Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball put up 14 apiece. Add in Patrick Williams, and Chicago is getting just over 80 points per game from their starters — you love to see it. The Bulls have a genuinely fun offense that can really turn up the heat. The additions of Ball and DeRozan have led to fluid ball movement that is creating tremendous offensive opportunities for Chicago’s stars.
The young season’s bright spot has been defense, which few — including myself — expected. Chicago currently sports the sixth-best defensive rating in the NBA, supported by the fourth-most steals and sixth-most team blocks per game. The signing of Alex Caruso — second in the league in steals (3.3 per game) — has already proven its value. He’s brought tenacity and energy to the defense that has been absent for a half-decade, and other players are feeding off of it. Ball is forcing turnovers and pressuring defenders and looks like one of the league’s best defensive guards so far. LaVine appears to be carrying over his Team USA experience from this summer — he’s never looked so engaged on defense. I’d be remiss to not mention Javonte Green because this dude is fucking awesome. He was my favorite part of the game on Friday night. He was everywhere, getting active on the boards on both ends and hauling ass on transitions, of which there were many. The Bulls are at their best when they have bench guys you can fully get behind (i.e. Ronnie Brewer).
The next few weeks are going to prove if the Bulls are a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. There’s good reason to believe that they’ll come out of this stretch with a winning record, and if the team continues to gel like this, they will be dangerous. Everything is actually coming together — I’m seeing red.
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