The Chicago Bulls are always one of the most polarizing teams in the NBA. It makes sense. At one time, this was a team that was perennially competing for an NBA Championship. However, those days with Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen are long gone, just to name a few of their elite assets from yesteryear. This is a team that needs a jolt in the right direction fast. Here’s why.
Bulls’ Playoff History Since Their Last NBA Championship (1998)
Since Chicago’s last NBA title back in 1998, which was also the last time they won the Eastern Conference Championship, the Bulls have only won their division twice, which were back in 2011 and 2012.
To make matters worse, the Bulls have only qualified for the postseason 12 times in the past 25 seasons. In those 12 appearances, the Bulls have only won five playoff series. And in the past 10 seasons, the Bulls have only appeared in the postseason four times with one series victory, occurring back in 2015.
Entering the current 2022-2023 season, the Bulls have only made the playoffs one time. The good thing is that it happened last season, showing that they have some talent that can get this team to the next level.
Can The Bulls Turn It Around In 2023?
The Bulls are currently in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. To qualify for the playoffs this season, they would need to be inside the top eight. The Bulls are currently 1.5 games back from the eighth seed with a long season to go.
The Bulls have played in 47 games, just over the halfway point of their long 82-game campaign. And with the NBA trade deadline and All-Star Weekend rapidly approaching, the Bulls have the decision to make.
The Bulls can either blow it up and once again try to rebuild a contending roster, or they can make some moves to acquire players to help them win now.
Chicago is a team with talent. The question is if they have a No. 1 star to ride into glory. The team is centered around four primary players. These players are Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic.
DeRozan would be considered the stud followed by LaVine, but both can play inconsistent basketball. Vucevic is an aging big but still brings a lot to the table while Ball has a lot of promise but has yet to take the necessary leap into stardom. For Ball, his health is his greatest downfall.
If the Bulls were to make a move to win now, they have young talent that rebuilding teams would want, including Coby White, Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmu, and Dalen Terry. The biggest issue is that this year’s NBA trade market is dull.
The best players on the market could be Julius Randle and Gordon Hayward. Are they good enough to get the Bulls over the hump? Likely not. The Bulls would have to make a splash and bring in a higher caliber player, and there aren’t many that teams would be willing to part ways with.
What Is Next For the Chicago Bulls in 2023?
The Bulls were a playoff team last season, which means this roster is not too far off. The primary issue is the absence of Lonzo Ball. Ball is expected to miss the entire 2022-2023 season due to left knee surgery. However, one could make the case that if Ball was available to play, the Bulls would be in the conversation to win the Eastern Conference rather than being on the outside looking in. This roster with Ball has that much pop.
Although it is a long shot, the Bulls are only 1.5 games back from the eighth seed with a lot of regular season games left to play, which means they are still in the running for the playoffs. If you think the Bulls can get hot and miraculously win the Eastern Conference, you can bet on Bulls Eastern Conference odds with some of the Caesars Promo Codes for sportsbooks.
That being said, the best thing the Bulls can do is to try their best in 2023, but look ahead to next season when they will have Ball healthy and ready to contribute. But since the upcoming free agent class is just as underwhelming as the players available at the trade deadline, plus, the fact that the Bulls don’t have a ton of cap space, this is a team that may have to get lucky in the NBA Draft.
To get lucky in the NBA Draft, the Bulls would need to miss the playoffs and hope they hit in the NBA lottery and walk out of the draft with a player who can help this team win immediately. Otherwise, they will remain in NBA purgatory for the unforeseeable future.
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