Can you believe that the Chicago Bulls have a record of 25-10 and are currently the number one team in the Eastern Conference?
It’s been years since the Windy City has been this good and this consistent.
Unlike other teams in the league, there haven’t been many ups and downs with the Bulls – they have stayed good all season.
Their biggest losing streak was two games and their biggest winning streak is currently ongoing with eight victories in a row.
What is driving this remarkable success?
A lot of things but one of the largest factors is multiple players on the Bulls have chips on their shoulders.
That’s right: spite and revenge are firing up this Bulls team – and it’s working!
Ball & LaVine Bullied
Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball was selected as the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.
He was envisioned as the future of the franchise.
And after just two seasons, he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Some people said Ball’s hype outweighed his talent while others said he was too showy and was going to be a washed-up player in just a few years.
Now Ball is playing some of the best basketball of his career: 12.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists a night while shooting a career-best 41 percent from the three-point line.
For all the complaints about him, Ball never has been very showy or egotistical – he’s let his game do the talking for him.
His game is talking very loudly now.
LONZO BALL CLUTCH THREE! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Fe72kMiAUV
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 5, 2021
Zach LaVine is another Bulls baller with something to prove.
After getting his start with the Minnesota Timberwolves, LaVine moved to the Bulls where his career really took off – like Ball, he was called the future of his team.
But LaVine has been slept-on a lot over the last few years: his team is rarely discussed and he’s only been an All-Star once despite impressive playing and two NBA Slam Dunk Contest wins.
Now with a stronger team around him, LaVine is in the running for another All-Star Game and is being called one of the best players in the East.
DeMar Dominates
But if you’re going to talk about someone with something to prove you have to discuss DeMar DeRozan.
DeRozan is the star of the team and a frontrunner for MVP this season.
He’s creating 26.9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists a game and has only had five games where he’s scored under 20 points.
This success has been a long time coming for DeRozan, who used to play for the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs.
After being sent to San Antonio after nine seasons in Toronto, many people said that DeRozan was past his prime and the likelihood of him leading a team to the Finals was slim.
Things were made even worse when it looked like the Lakers – DeRozan’s preferred destination – were going to trade for him…only to have them pass on him.
DeMar DeRozan: “I felt like going to the Lakers was a done deal and that we were going to figure it out. I was going to come home. The business side of things just didn’t work out…My next option was definitely CHI. So, looking back at it, it worked out well.”
via @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/fDwXqjIC0C
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 16, 2021
Coming into this season, DeRozan was fired up and ready to prove to all the haters that his best days were not behind him.
He has definitely proven his point and his explosive season is carrying the Bulls into the playoffs and possibly the Finals.
NEXT: DeMar DeRozan Makes The Bulls A Real Contender
