CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 07: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls looks on against the Denver Nuggets during the first half of a preseason game at the United Center on October 07, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago sports fans need something to be excited about due to the Bears’ misery. Here are three reasons to get hyped about the Bulls instead.
The Chicago Bulls surprised a lot of NBA fans by surging to a sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference last year. Billy Donovan’s established nucleus of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic have their work cut out for him to duplicate that finish this season.
The uncertainty around Lonzo Ball and his mysterious knee injury puts a ton of pressure on Chicago’s veterans to get this team off to a good start. Struggling out of the gates could put the Bulls behind the proverbial eight-ball when it comes to making the playoffs.
Optimism in Chicago is rooted in the idea that the team’s veterans can keep playing at a high level while receiving a boost from some internal gains from the younger players on the roster. A new starter at point guard should be one of the most encouraging things for Bulls fans to watch this year.
3. Ayo Dosunmu’s energy for the Chicago Bulls
Dosunmu probably isn’t the team’s long-term answer as the starter at point guard but he’s going to get a chance to lock the role down starting on Opening Night. At the very least, he brings good tempo to a Bulls offense that had a tendency to stagnate last year.
The former Illinois star was surprisingly efficient last year as a rookie but he needs to up his offensive workload this year to become a quality starter. A usage rate of 14.1 percent was fine for a rookie off the bench but isn’t going to be sufficient to keep this Bulls offense humming at a high level in Dosumnu’s sophomore campaign.
