OKC Thunder: NBA Draft – Tank wars heat up in week 17

Chicago Bulls (22-32):

On paper, the Bulls have plenty of depth with young talent and some savvy vets but haven’t been able to find a rhythm.

Of all the teams listed in the lottery segment of the ladder, the Bulls were the most aggressive to add depth to win this season. Nikola Vucevic was the big-name deadline deal, but Daniel Theis was an under-the-radar pickup.  Troy Brown Jr., Al-Farouq Aminu, and Javonte Green were also added but will likely be end of bench rotational players.

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The issue for the Bulls is they are 3-8 since the trade deadline and things aren’t looking good for them to move up. Rather, they’ll be lucky to retain the 10th seed given a few teams with more experience and depth right behind them (Raptors, Wizards).

Moreover, news Zach LaVine has been placed in the health and safety protocols will likely represent another setback. The report was released on April 15th and the expectations are he’ll miss several games.

Of the teams on this list, the Bulls are in the absolute worst position. As per above, Orlando owns their pick unless those lottery balls bounce fourth or under. While Vucevic and LaVine are All-Stars the Bulls still don’t have a starting-caliber point guard and their wing depth is suspect.

Chicago plays the Grizzlies and Cavaliers this weekend without LaVine. My bet is the Raptors and possibly the Wizards will both be ahead of the Bulls by Monday.

Closing:

The OKC Thunder will play the Pistons this evening and the Raptors on Sunday. Thunder Nation will be rooting for two losses to help the club draw nearer to the Magic and Pistons.

Intentions will be back with tank wars 2.0 next week as we track the path of the team’s efforts to improve their positioning and draft stock over the final four weeks of the season.

Embrace the tank Thunder Nation!