Succeeding in 2021, Bulls Rings Sell for a Quarter-Mil, Jordan’s Nascar Team, and Other Bulls Bullets

Tonight, the Illini will kick-off the Big Ten football season against those pesky Wisconsin Badgers (for those of you who don’t know, I’m a University of Illinois alum). When this matchup comes across the schedule, it’s usually pretty easy to chalk it up as a loss. However, after last season’s surprisingly successful turnaround for the Illini and major upset victory over Wisconsin (lolz losers), I’m ready to win.

Oh, and for those who don’t know what happened last season … I’ll leave this here.

https://twitter.com/DefPenSports/status/1185637940753522690?s=20

I-L-L!

•   I feel like we’ve talked about this question a couple of times here at BN Bulls, but it’s an interesting subject to revisit throughout this offseason. ESPN’s Chris Herring joined the Bulls Talk Podcast to talk about what a successful season for the Bulls would look like in 2020-21, and I think the two of us are on the same page.

•   The Bulls don’t have to make the playoffs next season to claim victory. While it’s of course preferred, the real goal is just to feel (or look to other free agents?) like a competitive threat. Adding to the 22 wins is a must, but so is finally seeing some real development from the Bulls young core. Truth be told, probably not every young player on the Bulls right now will pan out as expected. As the new front office reconstructs this team, we’re bound to lose a piece or two. However, a successful 2020-21 campaign would help us finally figure out who is worth a future investment.

•   Make no mistake, though, this team needs to show improvements in the NBA ranks. With the coveted 2021 free agency looming, the Bulls want to make sure they can draw legitimate interest from big-time players. A new front office, a new head coach, and promising young talent is oftentimes all it takes to pull off a major signing. The team has the first two covered, but the third point is yet to be determined. I drawback to the Brooklyn Nets a lot when thinking about the Bulls potential upward trajectory. No, I don’t think Chicago is about to land a Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving type duo, but I do believe they could easily find themselves thrust back into the national conversation. The Nets jumped from 28 wins in 2017-18 to 42 in 2018-19 thanks to some big steps forward from young players like D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and Spencer Dinwiddie. Russell was the team’s standout player and made his first All-Star team that season – could LaVine be Chicago’s Russell this season?

•   Trust me, I’m wide awake.

•   Speaking of a successful season, a fully healthy year from Carter Jr. could prove to be a massive win. I know he’s frustrated some fans over his two seasons with the team, but what we saw early last season gives us plenty of reason to believe he could be in store for a breakout. Not to mention, head coach Billy Donovan has found plenty of success coaching big men in the past. We’ll talk more about the big ma later today.

•   A set of Bulls championship rings sold for a total of $255,840. Is it just me or does that feel hella low? I mean, we have jerseys and cards selling for more than that.

•   Fact or fiction?

•   Michael Jordan’s new NASCAR team will sport a No. 23 car, which is so badass.

•   I mean … this is a great point.

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.

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