NEWSLETTER
The parents came to visit this weekend, and we did two things: Drink and eat.
In fact, we did those two things so well, that I probably should take a break from doing either for the rest of the day (but I definitely will not).
• I’m more optimistic about the Chicago Bulls on-court product than I have been in quite some time. While establishing a hierarchy and building chemistry could very well lead to some early struggles, it’s a small price to pay for this immense talent improvement. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the importance of fit, but I also understand the importance of getting your foot in the door. The Bulls have not put themselves in a position to be picky. After missing the playoffs the last four seasons, it became more than clear how wide of a gap there was between this roster and a truly competitive basketball team. Lottery pick after lottery pick struggled to come to fruition, at least in terms of developing into a true “star.” Arturas Karnisoas and Marc Eversley were faced with a decision: Blow it all up or immediately level the playing field.
• In case you missed it, they chose the latter. How well that decision will pay off is something only time will tell. However, if this is the route they want, we can not deny they have done well for themselves thus far. They have solved their talent problem, and DeMar DeRozan reminded us of that during his introductory press conference on Friday (h/t Bulls dot com).
“Every guy when I look at that (Bulls) roster has a chip on their shoulders. Me knowing Vooch since college, I know what type of player he is, how bad he wants to win. Zach wanting to be on that main stage and wanting to compete for something much more than just stats during the season.”
…
“And Lonzo putting all those mentalities together. Since he’s been in the league, it seemed like he hasn’t really been let free to be the player that I believe he is. Even Caruso coming from a winning program. It’s so much there that could bring so much potential. It was just something that was appealing to me that I wanted to be a part of, let alone it being in Chicago, one of the greatest cities in the NBA.
Watch DeRozan’s full press conference here.
• Well, when you put it that way. It’s hard not to feel even the tiniest bit hyped when a player of DeRozan’s caliber talks about the intrigue of this roster. It’s also hard not to see where he is coming from. Top-tier numbers, All-Star appearances, and even an NBA championship, the Bulls have a team built around players who have proven they can produce at a high level. But can they win? Caruso is the only one to make a Finals, and he is set to come off the bench. DeRozan has found his way to an Eastern Conference Finals, but that came in 2015-16. Nikola Vucevic has only sniffed the playoffs three times (a total of just 11 games), and Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball do not have a single playoff appearance or winning season to flaunt.
• We do have to keep all of this in mind as the Bulls embark on this new era, and I understand the concern it might cause. At the same time, DeRozan is exactly right, every key player on this team has a chip on their shoulder because of their “winning” (or rather lack thereof) resume. Perhaps DeRozan, LaVine, Ball, and Vucevic have not been able to individually win at the level of other All-Stars, but now they don’t have to. On paper, these four players have never been on a team with this much talent. Combine that fact with the hunger to win, and the extra effort it should take to make this work should be there. With that in mind, it’s just another reason I like this gamble by the front office. There is now no lack of talent and no lack of motivation.
• Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley ranked the NBA’s top trios, and LaVine-DeRozan-Vucevic cracked the top-10 (albeit, No. 10). To be honest, this kind of random ranking should mean absolutely nothing to us, especially since the three have not even taken the court together, but it is another example of this franchise gaining respect in the league conversation. People are very much talking about the Bulls again, and there is no question that makes this front office feel even more comfortable with the moves they have made to this point.
• Speaking of respect around the league, we could know how many nationally broadcasted games the Bulls will have in the next 10 days or so, per Marc Stein.
The NBA schedule for the 2021-22 season, I'm told, is expected to be released in the next 7-to-10 days.
More NBA from me: https://t.co/LGN9cV7Dif
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 14, 2021
• Hey, that’s cool!
Active points leaders:
LeBron James – 35,367
Carmelo Anthony – 27,370
Kevin Durant – 23,883
James Harden – 22,045
Russell Westbrook – 21,857
Chris Paul – 19,978
Dwight Howard – 19,113
Stephen Curry – 18,434
DeMar DeRozan – 17,751
Rudy Gay – 16,903— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) August 14, 2021
• You can round out the weekend with some after-dark Patrick Williams buckets!
https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1426939982455861249?s=20
• Sign him just so he can win the dunk contest.
https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1426722938116460544?s=20
