Sure, the Bulls are great now but where's their team going in a year or two? Demar Derozan and Nikola Vucevic are both over 30. When there have been great teams in the past, there are often comments regarding the teams' future. Think about it... the Lakers with Lebron and Anthony Davis, the Rockets with CP and the Beard, the Toronto Raptors with Kawhi and Pascal Siakam. These are all great teams, contending teams, some won the championship and some didn't. The dream for an NBA roster is to be able to contend and to be able to have a future at the same time. This is what the Lakers do have to a certain degree as they have Anthony Davis, who is still under 30 and honestly can keep getting better and better. The Raptors are a team that were able to win the championship and had a hint of potential assets that could've helped the team move forward. Unfortunately the Raptors aren't developing as a team as some expected them to, with Pascal and Fred VanVleet unable to take that next step. Moral of the story is that the Bulls have a legit chance to grow their team in a few years as well with 24 year old Lonzo Ball, 27 year old Alex Caruso, 26 year old Zach Lavine, 21 year old Coby White, and 24 year old Derrick Jones Jr. making a really solid and unexpected impact for the Bulls. Their team is very good right now, but in actuality, they're loaded for the next few years.
When you look at their shooting splits, it really makes you realize how tough they are to compete against. All 4 guys of their main core are snipers, and can create their own play therefore you can't really play off of them. Lonzo, Derozan, and Lavine are all shooting above 35% from three although Vucevic is is only shooting 26% from 3 point range. They are all shooting well above 70% from the free throw line, which is understated in their early success. Then there's my poor Rockets who are dead last in free throw percentage, as if things weren't going terrible already. I digress. The Bulls make sure everyone gets their shots in as the main core of the 4 guys are taking the majority of the shots as they're all averaging 12-19 shots a game per player. A really unselfish team, ready to win, ready to take the league by storm, and by surprise too. I am so impressed, surprised, and happy with Derozan's play as he's always been known as the guy who just got manhandled by Lebron during his time as a Raptor. Demar has proven that he can knock down the three ball as he's shooting 36% so far and he's almost shooting 50% from the field. A really precise and efficient start for him and the Bulls so far.
It is early to call the Bulls a dynasty, but I personally have seen enough to make that call. I'm just hoping to see them play more signature games against the Warriors, Nets, Heat, Bulls and I want to see how their defense holds up. Alex Caruso appears to be the defensive anchor and he's been the energy guy for the Bulls. We need to see defense and it's important for the Bulls to identify that one closer. Who's taking the last shot? It could be Derozan, Lavine, and probably should be Lonzo if we're looking at the stats. They need to identify that but this team has extremely surprised me in how unselfish and professional all of the guys are displaying. That's why I have them going to the finals as well.
Comments