Making the NBA play-in tournament is pretty much a foregone conclusion for the Chicago Bulls. They have turned up their play post All-Star break, decimating tanking teams, and pushing elite Western Conference squads to their limit. I’m certain the Bulls are destined for the playoffs.
“Playoffs???!!! Are you kidding me??? Playoffs????!!!!!”
Yes Jim Mora, playoffs!
The Bulls, led by Josh Giddey and Coby White, have a firm grasp on the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference, and are 3.5 games behind the 7th seeded Atlanta Hawks with about ten games left to play. Chicago has already proven they can beat any of the other Eastern Conference Play-in teams (Atlanta, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat). The way this team is playing they will make the playoffs.
Playoffs. Wrap your brain around that. I really didn’t think this roster would be a legitimate threat to make them, but here we are.
Coby White has won Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice in a row, a feat only Michael Jordan has ever accomplished for the Bulls. He has figured out how to get to the foul line, which has allowed him to routinely score 20+ (and even more recently, 30+) points per game.
Josh Giddey has also been getting to the foul line, and rebounding, and assisting, and even playing elevated defense. In the Bulls victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last Saturday (146-115), Giddey was two steals shy of a quadruple double. He finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 17 assists, and 8 steals.
The win against the Lakers was the best win of the season for the Bulls. They demolished Luka and LeBron. The beat down was so bad that Lakers coach JJ Reddick emptied the bench with 6 minutes left in the game, conceding the match.
This Bulls team is playing with maximum effort. It starts with Coby and Giddey, and extends to everyone on the roster. Even Patrick Williams looks like he has a pulse.
The Bulls are playing through adversity too. Ayo Dosunmu is out for the season with his shoulder injury. Lonzo Ball has been absent with a wrist injury. Tre Jones, who had been doing his best Ayo Dosunmu impersonation, is currently out with a foot sprain. Nikola Vucevic has missed time with a thigh issue, and Josh Giddey missed a couple games due to a sprained ankle. And yet the Bulls keep winning.
It would be easy to point to the opponents the Bulls have vanquished on this 10-7 stretch since the All-Star break and say they’ve only really played tanking bums. Winning 4 out of 6 on the West Coast these last two weeks throws a wrench in the argument. The Bulls may have started out as bum slayers, but they’ve built up their confidence and are now a dangerous team.
What do I make of this turn around?
Logically, my brain hates this winning. The Bulls should be tanking for Cooper Flagg, a generational talent that could instantly change the trajectory of this franchise.
Emotionally, I love cheering for winning basketball. I love seeing Coby White take the reins of this team and inject his personality into the rest of his teammates. I love seeing the effort from Julian Phillips and Dalen Terry. I love seeing Kevin Huerter return to being a devastating sniper. I love seeing Tre Jones and Zach Collins resurrect their careers. I love Josh Giddey improving in all the areas of his game that gave me pause when the Bulls traded for him. I love Matas Buzelis dropping 30 on the Lakers and dunking on Luka…
I love Vucevic continuing to defy Father Time and play like an All-Star. I love Jalen Smith staying ready for whenever Billy Donovan throws him into the lineup. And I love when P. Will shows he has a pulse.
The Bulls have continued to play a fast paced brand of basketball and it’s testing the endurance of their opponents. Credit to Billy Donovan and the coaching staff for implementing contemporary basketball tactics. Even more credit to the Bulls players for buying in to the style and making it their own.
I do not agree with the path the front office has decided to take in this rebuild, but I can’t help but cheer for this group of players and what they are trying to accomplish on the court. Coby White and Josh Giddey are willing the Bulls to the playoffs. My suggestion is jump on the band wagon and enjoy the ride, we can (and will) complain about the rebuild in the off-season.
The Bulls are fun again, and they are going to the playoffs!
Until they do, thanks for reading, thanks for subscribing, and GO BULLS!!!
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