NBA Power Rankings week 8 – OKC Thunder cling to middle, trade market opens up
24. . 10-18. Previous: 22nd. Chicago Bulls. 22. team
Offense: (103.2) 28th
Defense: (105.0) 10th
Net: (minus -1.8) 19th
Games Week 8: (2-2) Won vs. Hawks, Clippers, lost to Raptors, Hornets
Games Week 9 (3 games): Mon. vs. Thunder | Weds. at Hornets | Sat. at Pistons
The narrator has waited all season for this team to string together a series of wins as they looked on paper at least like a team who should be in the mix to nab a bottom-tier playoff seed.
After weeks of ranting about the misuse of, or lack of offensive integration of Lauri Markkanen into the mix Jim Boylen finally is utilizing him now as the offensive talent he is.
Perhaps more than any other team in one missing player is haunting this club. That type of statement typically applies to the team superstar however it’s not the case with the Bulls.
Rather, the 20 game absence of Otto Porter Jr. truly is taking a toll on the club. While OPJ flashed glimpses in Washington as a reliable third behind Bradley Beal and John Wall it was his defensive ability that the Bulls were most in need of. Porter can guard virtually any position but more importantly, he can be the defensive captain on the floor.
The Bulls have lost six times in games they held double digit leads in and numerous games in clutch time all because of defense or lapses in the same. Porter might be the difference to Chicago flipping those situations to wins. Wendell Carter Jr. is a beast who is underutilized offensively but when Porter returns it’s conceivable a crunch time lineup featuring Dunn (another strong defender), LaVine, Markkanen, OPJ and Carter Jr, could rank among the league best.
Suffice to say I haven’t given up on this preseason prediction.