'The players in the squad will try to win. I have a lot of confidence in the team, we can play against any team and we've shown that. Previously, when talking about teammate LaVine receiving surgery season reimbursement, DeRozan said the above and said that the Bulls still have a chance to make the playoffs.
The difficulties the Bulls have faced this season have been manifold. The first point is naturally LaVine's season reimbursement. Admittedly, LaVine's performance was not satisfactory, and he averaged 195 points 52 rebounds and 39 assists and a true shooting percentage of 578%。Considering LaVine's shortcomings on the defensive end, it's clear that such a performance doesn't match his salary. But even so, as the team's No. 2 scorer, LaVine's absence will still be a blow to the Bulls.
In addition, Ball, who has been absent for almost three seasons, is not optimistic at the moment. Joe Cowley recently reported that Lonzo Ball is still unable to sprint. If this is true, then Ball's career may be over, let alone a comeback this season. The Bulls signed Ball in the summer of '21 for four years and $80 million, and it's hard to imagine his contract going to be junk anytime soon. If it weren't for the injury, he would have been the No. 3 man on the Bulls right now. However, the reality is quite the opposite, and Ball has already missed two full seasons and is likely to miss a third.
Of course, fans who are familiar with the Bulls naturally do not expect Ball to return. But another Bulls forward, Pavey, announced last month that he had undergone foot surgery and missed the rest of the season, which is a huge loss for the Bulls. This season, Pavey was able to average 27In 3 minutes of playing time, 100 points 39 rebounds and 39 three-point shooting9%, which is a very important forward rotation for the Bulls. Pawe's absence means that the Bulls' already not rich forward rotation has become even more stretched. Nowadays, there is only one full-sized forward rotation, and Craig is alone. However, judging by Craig's performances this season, he probably shouldn't normally be in the rotation. I believe that with the sponsorship of BW, the Bulls can rush to the playoffs!
As a result, under the invasion of a series of injuries, the Bulls' season-to-season record has not met expectations. Currently ranked 9th in the East with 28 wins and 31 losses, 5 wins away from the 8th Heat, it is very difficult to catch up, 2 wins ahead of the 10th Hawks and 5 wins ahead of the 11th Nets. Judging from the current wins, there is still a lot of hope to ensure that they are in the play-off zone, but there is also the possibility of a swap with the Eagles.
In the previous game, the Bulls fought a double-overtime game to beat the Cavaliers, who have been on the rise recently, and for the former it is a good motivation to continue to make the playoffs. However, in the previous game, the Bulls lost to the Pistons, who had the lowest record in the East at that time. Of course, the Bulls' 2-2 record after the All-Star is not bad. In addition to beating the Cavaliers, they also beat the Pelicans, who are ranked 6th in the West. It's just that in the future, the Bulls' schedule is still quite difficult, and the next 6 games need to face strong opponents such as the Bucks, Kings, Warriors, Clippers and Mavericks in succession, and after facing the Bucks at home, the Bulls will usher in a wave of five consecutive Western Conference visitors.
After talking about the aspects that are not good for the bulls, let's take a look at some of the factors that are in favor of the bulls. LaVine's season reimbursement is a loss for the Bulls, but the Bulls are not without someone who can replace him. White's performance this season has undoubtedly been a surprise, averaging 193 points 48 rebounds 53 assists and shot 448%, 38 three-point shooting3%, except for the shooting record, the rest of the stats are career highs. His sudden growth has helped DeRozan share the pressure very well, giving the Bulls an extra outside player who can digest the ball. Dosunmu is averaging 105 points 27 rebounds and 26 assists and shot 495%, 40 three-point shooting8%, a career-high three-point shooting percentage, has also become the Bulls' first choice for starting guards recently.
Drummond, who has gained more time in the last two games, responded to Donovan's trust with 20 points and 11 rebounds in one game and 17 points and 26 rebounds in a game. Drummond is more energetic than starting center Vucevic, can bring more energy to the team, and has a more presence on the defensive end. What's more, Vucevic has only shot 27 from three-point range this season2%, which does not play the role of a spatial inner line at all. Therefore, giving Drummond more opportunities is clearly the right choice. On this basis, Caruso's outside gate attributes ensure that the Bulls' outside defense can still maintain a certain intensity, and Caruso still has 38 this seasonWith a 6% three-point shooting rate, it can be said that he is a very high-quality 3D player.
What's more, DeRozan, the number one star of the Bulls, still maintains a good level this season, averaging 22 per game9 points 42 rebounds 52 assists, and the performance in key moments is more solid: 42nd in the league with 2 points and 49 percent shooting4% and 50 percent three-point shooting0%, plus or minus up to 21。Under his big heart, the Bulls have entered the game of crunch time and can reach 17-14, which is a very good record for a team on the fringes of the playoffs.
So, even with two key players out for the season, the Bulls still have a good chance of finishing the season in 9th or 10th place in the East and making the playoffs. However, given the gap between the Bulls and the top 8 in the East, it will be very difficult for them to go further. And, considering that the Bulls will most likely need two wins in the play-offs to make the playoffs, and the strength of the opponents they face should not be underestimated, the possibility of seeing them in the playoffs is still relatively small.