Chicago Bulls:
Offense: (104.9) 27th
Defense: (107.6) 10th
Net: (minus -2.7) 22nd
Results Week 15: (1-3) Won vs Spurs: 110-109, Lost vs.Pacers:106-115, Nets: 118-133, Raptors: 102-129
Games Week 16: (2 games) Thurs vs Pelicans | Sun at 76ers
Without a crystal ball, it’s hard to know if this Bulls team would’ve been drastically different had Otto Porter been healthy.
Of all my preseason picks this one was the most off the mark. It truly felt like they could compete for the eighth seed given their frontcourt depth and the presence of OPJ and Thad Young.
Perhaps what I neglected to recognize was while the Bulls have excellent defenders and offensive juggernauts those players (other than Porter) don’t have both affinities. That equates to either a crew who can maintain an offensive presence but can’t stop anyone or a lineup who can present tough defense but can’t score.
It’s not like they have to reinvent the wheel. Rather, once healthy, Jim Boylen has to figure out which players to combine so there is enough of both tendencies on the hardwood.
Porter was slated for a February return from his broken foot but the timeline keeps shifting. Let’s see if they remain within reach of catching that eight seed once he does.