At one point this season, the Chicago Bulls held the number one seed in the East. Unfortunately, they fell to the 6th seed by the season’s end.
And after being eliminated in Round 1 by Milwaukee, DeMar DeRozan made a promise to Bulls fans, assuring them that better days are ahead for the franchise.
“It was a hell of a run. I felt like I did my best. Had an opportunity to come to a new situation and you know, I wouldn’t necessarily say prove myself, but just get back to having fun again and playing basketball. With that, I can assure we’re gonna come back even better next year. Without a doubt. No, no question.”
“I can assure we’re gonna come back even better next year. Without a doubt.” -DeMar@MichelobULTRA | #BullsNation pic.twitter.com/fYE1Cri2Ho
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 7, 2022
There were a lot of doubts about the Bulls when they put their roster together over the summer. DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Lonzo Ball make up a solid core of stars, but many questions surfaced about how they would fit and play together.
At first, they answered those questions with pure dominance on the floor, impressing much of the NBA community. Despite the fact that they were unable to maintain that level of play, strong hope remains about the future.
If they can find a way to improve their defense, it could be all they need to emerge as a legitimate title threat.
The Bulls have an MVP candidate on a discount deal in DeMar DeRozan, and they also have excellent two-way guards, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, locked up for the next few seasons. Zach LaVine will also most likely be back on a max contract unless the Bulls get creative in the offseason and look for a sign and trade.
The Bulls look set on offense.
However, they need to shore up their 22nd-rated defense if they want to become genuine title contenders next season. Chicago could look to move center Nikola Vucevic for a rim protector, and they should also bring in one or two proven defensive wings.
The free-agent pool isn’t very deep this offseason, but re-signing Zach LaVine has to be a top priority for the franchise. As a young and explosive guard, he holds the keys to the future.
Either way, it will be interesting to see what GM Marc Eversley is able to pull off before next season. He will have his work cut out for him, but the Bulls are a team on the rise and there is no reason to think they’re headed anywhere but up.
