The Chicago Bulls 2022-23 season has begun. Players, coaches, and executives reported to Media Day last Monday, exuding the typical optimism and determination that every NBA team seems to have at the start of a new season. New players were introduced, old teammates reconnected, and talking points were hit hard.
The talking points from Media Day that stood out to me:
- The Eastern Conference is better.
- The Bulls will have to work harder to achieve their goals.
- The expectations for this team are to make the playoffs and advance.
- The Bulls are focused on beating top tier teams.
Points 2-4 are nice to see because they are the very things I was hoping to see. Like I said in my last post, the Bulls have a team filled with All-Stars, they should be able to make the playoffs. With a roster as talented as they have, they should also be able to win a playoff series. The one thing I didn’t spell out, but was the bane of last season, the record against top NBA teams has GOT to get better. The Bulls have to consistently beat teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia ’76ers, Golden State Warriors, and Boston Celtics, to have a realistic shot at achieving talking points 2 and 3.
The talking point I least care for is #1. The East got better. That sounds like a built in excuse. “We didn’t achieve our goals, because the East got better.” I don’t have time for that BS. It’s the job of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley to make sure the Bulls roster can adequately compete with the rest of the teams in the NBA. If the East has gotten better, then it should be because they were the ones that made the moves to make the East better.
For too long this Bulls franchise has suffered from Executives, Coaches, and even the players making excuses for their failures. Leaning on injuries to excuse losses, leaning on inexperience to excuse a lack of competitive spirit. There should be no excuses from this team. They have talent. They have experience. They have redundancy in their roster to overcome injury. They have a head coach that has proven he can lead successful teams. Don’t tell me the East is better. BE THE BETTER in the East.
Tonight is the first Preseason game for the Bulls. They take on a healthy Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans. The things I’m watching for:
-Which of the point guards steps up and fills that Lonzo Ball shaped hole in the lineup? Does a healthy Coby White have a shot at playing time considering he’s competing with Goran Dragic, Alex Caruso, and Ayo Dosunmu? How does Donovan handle the guard rotations?
-Is Patrick Williams more aggressive on offense? Is he doing more than just standing in the corner?
-What will Dalen Terry do with his minutes?
-What will Marko Simonovic do with his minutes?
Bulls basketball is back! And even if it’s just a lousy preseason game, there should be enough to keep those of us starving for hoops entertained. Until they do, thanks for reading and go Bulls!
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