Here’s What I’ll Remember Most from the 2019-20 Bulls Season

Good or bad, the 2019-20 season had plenty of memorable moments.

Let’s talk about them …

10. No One at The United Center

About a week into the season, practically all Bulls fans knew this team didn’t come as advertised. Despite another year under the belt for this young core – plus the addition of several decent free agents – the Bulls looked incredibly underprepared. Fed up with the poor play and constant overselling by the front office, fans finally decided to stop showing up. It’s about damn time. 

The Bulls average nightly attendance dropped to 11th in the NBA, and capacity checked in at only 89.9 percent, which was the 7th-worst in the league. On some nights, the team saw the worst attendance totals in 16 years, and you can bet your bottom dollar this caught Jerry Reinsdorf’s attention.

I sat in the stand for the Bulls blowout victory (#rare) over the Atlanta Hawks on December 11th, and I remember it felt the same as the time I covered an Illinois-New Mexico State matchup at the arena a couple of years ago (that’s not a good thing). If we’re being honest though, I was happy to see that depressing atmosphere for myself. As I sat there, all I could think was “wow, we might really see some change.” And here we are.

9. A Terrible Eastern Conference

I’m, like, 85 percent sure the bottom half of the Eastern Conference forgot how to play basketball.

The fact that the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic can sit in the 7th and 8th seed, respectively, with only 30 wins is pretty darn telling. I mean, for a bulk of this season, the Bulls were very much in the running for one of those playoff spots, and we all know that shouldn’t have been the case. Although, the real reason I’ll likely never forget how bad the East was this season is because of the 2020 NBA Draft. Somehow, someway, this Bulls team wasn’t bad enough to grab top-5 lottery odds. Nope, instead, they found themselves once again slated in the 7th spot.

Only this team could find a way to be bad at losing.

8. Kris Dunn’s Delightful Defense

Kris Dunn was lost, but now he’s found. The former No. 5-overall pick struggled to find his footing throughout his first three seasons in the NBA. Sure, part of that was the fact that he got stuck on the T-Wolves and Bulls, but the other part was that he just wasn’t built to lead a successful NBA offense. Why? Because his true value comes on the other end of the court.

With Tomas Satoransky as the team’s new facilitator and Coby White as the team’s shiny new toy, Dunn found his niche. He invested all his effort into becoming a defensive juggernaut, quickly becoming the go-to guy to guard the opposing team’s best player. He finished the season 4th in steals and 12th in defensive real plus-minus (both would’ve arguably been higher if he didn’t get hurt, especially the DRPM, which was second in the NBA on Feb. 27th behind only LeBron James). Overall, he joined guys like Patrick Beverley and Marcus Smart on the list of elite defensive role-playing guards. The question now will be whether or not he can be paid like those two guys (his weak offensive game and current cap situation probably says no).

7. Lauri Markkanen’s Demise

Some 2019-20 Lauri Markkanen stats: 14.7 ppg*, 6.3 rebs*, 34.4 3PT%*, 42.5 FG%*, 11.8 FGAs*

*career-worst

In a year where many of us thought Lauri Markkanen could put up All-Star caliber numbers, he did the exact opposite. Whether next season is more of the same or a big step in the right direction, we’ll likely remember Year 3 as a pivotal point in Markkanen’s career. How a player responds to a down year is always important, and while he may only be 22-years-old, next season feels like a make or break season for The Finnisher.

6. Jim Boylen And The Curious Case of The Late Timeouts

Boylen was already the Windy City punching bag, so he said “screw it” and decided to call a bunch of late-game timeouts.

The Bulls head coach became known around the league for his end-of-game antics, which was something that noticeably frustrated, well, everyone.

Don’t remember? Take a trip down memory lane:

Also, just to piss you off, I went ahead and found at least some of the instances where he called these timeouts over the last two months of the season:

•   @ Minnesota (03.04.20) – 43 seconds left down 115-108
•   vs. Phoenix (2.22.20) – 30 seconds left down 112-102
•   vs. Charlotte (2.20.20) – 40 seconds left down 102-93
•   @ Washington (2.11.22) – 42 seconds left down 120-108
•   @ Philadelphia (02.09.20) – 10 seconds left down 118-111
•   @ Toronto (02.02.20) – 1:04 left down 127-102

WHY, BOYLEN!? WHY!?

5. The Chicago Bulls And The No Good, Very Bad All-Star Weekend

Remember how Zach LaVine had to sit on national television as Bulls fans screamed “FIRE GARPAX?” Ah, the good old days.

For years to come, this weekend might be my lasting memory of the GarPax era. Despite hosting, the Bulls had exactly zero players good enough to crack the All-Star Game roster. Sure, Zach LaVine participated in the 3-point contest and Wendell Carter Jr. sat on the bench during the Rising Stars game, but the Bulls overall representation was truly depressing.

Considering this city once ruled the basketball universe, 2019 All-Star Weekend will serve as a reminder of how far a franchise can fall. The Bulls were put under a national spotlight, and I’ll forever be grateful it led to change … and enraged that it didn’t turn out better.

4.  The Front Office Storylines

In many ways, this one is connected to No. 5. The off-the-court storylines ruled most of this season, as rumors swirled about Gar Forman’s firing and a front office overhaul. Whether we want to admit it or not, this kept many of us far more invested than we should have been. And, even though this season aggressively stunk, we’ll always remember it for being the straw that broke the camel’s back.

3. The Coby White Game

No, not that one … or that one … or that one.

I’m talking about White’s historic performance against the New York Knicks on November 12th, 2019. With seven 3-pointers in the 4th quarter, White became the youngest player in NBA history to knock down this many triples in a game (AND HE DID IT IN A QUARTER). He also broke the Bulls franchise record for 3-pointers in a quarter and tied the franchise record for 3-pointers in a half.

He finished the game with 27 points, 23 of which came in the final frame.

I know White still has a long way to go, but I feel like we’ll always remember this as the game where he truly introduced himself to the city. As he continued to hit big shot after big shot, he celebrated in a shower of cheers. We saw an electrifying, excitable young kid who could take over a game in the blink of an eye. Not to mention, this is arguably the most exciting moment in the United Center in the last three years.

So even if he doesn’t turn out to be the star many of us think he can be, this will always be a star moment.

(Photo by Getty Images)

2. The Coby White Games

Okay, now I’m talking about that one … and that one … AND that one.

When February rolled around, White wasn’t messing around. Over his final 11 games of the season, White averaged 23.7 points per game (FG 45.6%, 3PT 38.9%)  with 4.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds. He became the only rookie to ever score 30 points in 3-straight games off the bench, and only the second rookie in franchise history to have back-to-back 30-point outings since Michael Jordan. Uh, those all sound like very good things to me!

The problem is, this White stretch will either be remembered in one of two ways – (1) as his breakout campaign or (2) as a fluke. In general, over the next couple of seasons, it’ll be hard not to compare White to these 11 games, and I hope they prove to be more of a blessing than a curse.

1. The Zach LaVine Game

Part of Zach LaVine’s basketball legacy will always be the time he gave his head coach a metaphorical middle finger.

Boylen told reporters that he benched LaVine during a game against the Miami Heat because of “three egregious defensive mistakes.” LaVine took a page out of the Michael Jordan handbook and took those words personally.

https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1198094555888922624?s=20

The next game against the Charlotte Hornets, LaVine dropped 49 points as he single-handedly stole the game on the road. He became only the third player in NBA history to hit 13 3-pointers in a single game, seven of which came in the 4th quarter.

I have no doubt you remember all of the awesomeness, but for fun, here are the highlights:

Not only did it make for one of the more impressive performances from a Bulls player in quite some time, but it might be on the list of “all-time savage games,” considering the circumstances.

written by

Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

more bulls news

What Would be the Best Draw for the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In Tournament?

Nine games stand between the Chicago Bulls and the Play-In Tournament. I know ... yippie! Practically locked into the No. 9 seed, this puts them in line to host the No. 10 seed at the United Center in Round 1....

Best Defense of the Season, Playing Big, Javonte Green’s Instant Impact, and Other Bulls Bullets

Lose to the 14-win Wizards one game and hold the Pacers' elite offense to their worst performance of the season the next. Your 2023-24 Chicago Bulls, everyone! As I said in last night's Enhanced Box Score, I'm now even more...

WOW: Minnesota Timberwolves Sale to Alex Rodriguez Falls Through

The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped a bomb on Thursday morning. According to a statement released by the Timberwolves and Lynx ownership group, the franchise is no longer for sale. A transition of power was thought to be in place over the...

Enhanced Box Score: Bulls 125, Pacers 99 – March 27, 2024

I got to be honest, I'm even more upset about the Washington Wizards' loss. If the Chicago Bulls played like they did tonight, they would have beaten that depleted Wizards team by 40. This was a locked-in group from the...

Javonte Green Makes Bulls Return… Immediately Does Awesome Stuff

Javonte Green has officially made his Chicago Bulls debut ... again. The 30-year-old signed with the organization via a 10-day hardship deal on March 22. Injuries to Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Julian Phillips paved the way for...

WATCH: Alex Caruso Snatches Rookie Ben Sheppard’s Ankles

Alex Caruso will always be known for his defense capabilities, but he's showing a lot more than that this season. The veteran guard is averaging double-digit points for the first time in his career. A big part of that has...

Draymond Green Ejected Less Than 4 Minutes Into Game Against Orlando

Draymond Green was at it again on Wednesday night. Out East to take on the Orlando Magic, the Golden State Warriors watched Paolo Banchero bulldoze Andrew Wiggins to the rim early in the first quarter. As Banchero high-fived his teammates...

Pre-Gamin’: Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls (7:00 CT), Projected Lineups, How to Watch, More

Everything was awful on Tuesday. Be Better. https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1772971933161705610?s=20 Game Info Indiana Pacers (41-32) at Chicago Bulls (34-38) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio) Projected Starting Lineups Chicago Bulls Coby White Alex Caruso Ayo Dosunmu...

Around the Association: Caitlin Clark Gets Big(3) Offer, Knicks Getting Help, Lakers OT Thriller, More

It's hard to believe we have less than three weeks remaining in the NBA's regular season, and we should be in for some real drama down the stretch. The Knicks have plenty to play for in their remaining 11 games...

WHOA: NCAA Looking to Ban Prop Betting on All College Athletes

As the NCAA men's basketball tournament gears up for the Sweet Sixteen, the college sports world received some big news. On Wednesday morning, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that NCAA president Charlie Baker wants to officially ban prop betting on college...

Latest News

Suns vs. Thunder Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The game starts at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The matchup's point total is...

Brewers vs. Mets Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

The New York Mets (0-0) host the Milwaukee Brewers (0-0) in an Opening Day contest at 1:40 PM ET on Friday.The Brewers will call on Freddy Peralta against the Mets and Jose Quintana.Brewers vs. Mets Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen:...

Cavaliers vs. 76ers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) are 8-point underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday, March 29, 2024. The game starts at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup's point total is set at 212.5.Our computer predictions...

Heat vs. Trail Blazers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Portland Trail Blazers (19-54) will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat (39-33) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at FTX Arena as heavy, 14-point underdogs. The contest airs at 8:00 PM ET on...

Rockets vs. Jazz Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Utah Jazz (29-44) will try to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets (37-35) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Vivint Smart Home Arena as 7.5-point underdogs. The contest airs at 9:30 PM ET on...

Bulls vs. Nets Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Chicago Bulls (35-38) hit the court against the Brooklyn Nets (28-45) as 5.5-point favorites on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup has an over/under set at 214.5 points.Before you place an informed wager...

Suns vs. Thunder Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The matchup begins at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The point total is set...

Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Minnesota Timberwolves (50-22) are 6.5-point underdogs when they host the Denver Nuggets (51-22) in a battle between the top two teams in the Western at Ball Arena on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 9:00 PM ET on ALT. The...

Knicks vs. Spurs Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The New York Knicks (44-28) will try to continue a three-game win streak when they visit the San Antonio Spurs (17-56) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at AT&T Center as big, 10-point favorites. The game airs at 8:00 PM ET...

Kings vs. Mavericks Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Dallas Mavericks (43-29) will look to Luka Doncic (first in the league scoring 33.9 points per game) when they try to beat De'Aaron Fox (eighth in the NBA with 26.5 PPG) and the Sacramento Kings (42-30) on Friday, March...

more bulls news