After holding the NBA’s best record last February, the Chicago Bulls fell into a funk, finishing just sixth in the Eastern Conference and losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
So far this season, the Bulls are just 2-2, and guard Lonzo Ball, one of their most important pieces last season, isn’t expected to play for a while after injuring his knee last January.
But there are still plenty of reasons to tune in to Bulls basketball this season, such as these three:
1. DeMar DeRozan
The acquisition of DeMar DeRozan transformed Chicago last season from a lottery team to a legitimate playoff team.
He put up a career season, averaging 27.9 points per game while shooting 35.2 percent from the field, both of which were career-highs.
He also established himself as one of the better closers in the NBA by coming through in crunch time for the Bulls.
Demar DeRozan hitting Back to Back Game Winners is STILL insane to me pic.twitter.com/hoDJwqNuRD
— TicNation ☘️ (@PritchBurner) July 12, 2022
So far this year, DeRozan is averaging numbers similar to what he registered last year, and his versatility makes him a must-watch player.
2. Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine has always been one of the most exciting players in the game, and that alone is a reason to watch the Bulls.
He is putting up 21.0 points per contest so far this season, and he has already put up some highlight plays.
Zach rack attack.@ZachLaVine | @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/1p6CcgdBI9
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 25, 2022
3. Will The Bulls Regain Their Defensive Prowess?
When Chicago had one of the best records in the NBA during the first half of last season, it did so largely with its defense.
That defense hasn’t been fully on display yet this season, but when it blew out the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics on Monday, it looked like it was getting back to basics.
In that contest, the Bulls held Boston to 37.0 percent shooting and just 102 points, which resembled the type of results they were getting early last season defensively.
NEXT: The Bulls Don't Have An Important All-Star Wednesday Night