Suffering a three-game losing streak is not terrible, the terrible thing is that they have lost more than 26 points to their opponents in both games, and this team is still the first Bulls in the East. But even after three consecutive defeats, the Bulls still rank first in the East. The Bulls have been traded by DeRozan, Ball and Caruso in the off-season, and the team has been upgraded on both offensive and defensive ends. So the bulls jumped in the new season and became one of the league's strongest teams. But do the Bulls really have the strength to win the championship?
The Bulls lost to the Nets and Warriors. In addition to the Nets and warriors' hot offensive status, it also has a lot to do with the Bulls' own defense. The Bulls' defensive striker Caruso was absent in both games, dropping the Bulls' outside defense by a notch. Once the Bulls' forward line is out of control, opponents can easily score on the Bulls' head. Moreover, Vucevic, who guards the Bulls' interior line, is not known for his defense, coupled with the fact that the core of the attack, Lavin, was injured in the game against the Warriors, which greatly reduced the power of the Bulls' offensive and defensive ends, and it was expected to suffer three consecutive defeats. Once the Bulls' main force returns in the future, the Bulls' regular season record will maintain a steady upward trend again.
Because of the presence of Michael Jordan, the Bulls have become a place that many players want to go. But in the post-Jordan era, except for rose's Bulls, who are expected to point the overall championship, the Bulls at other times even make the playoffs a luxury. But bull management never wanted to mess it up. So, they got the dunk king Lavine through the trade. After that, a new round of team building model began around LaVine.
The team first brought in Vucevic. Vucevic is a big player whose offense is mainly projection. Whether it's mid-range or three-pointers, he can hit the ball through his soft touch. In addition, Vucevic's back, footsteps, blocking, and internal and external cuts are also remarkable. So, in the magic's final season, Vucevic averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. But the sharp-cut Vucevic is not a defensive player. Vucevic moves slowly and his defensive sense of smell is sluggish. Can't prevent the opponent's blocking, let alone an excellent inner line guard. So after Vucevic joined the Bulls halfway through, the Bulls achieved a record of 12-9, and the Bulls did not make the playoffs that year. So after the season, the Bulls began to strengthen the team again.
The Bulls first signed Ball for 4 years and 85 million, and then used Aminu, Thady Young, a first round and two second rounds from the Spurs to exchange for DeRozan, and gave DeRozan a 3-year, 85 million contract. In the end, he signed the Lakers' defensive toughman Caruso with 4 years and 37 million. After three targeted transactions. The Bulls not only upgraded the offense, but also injected dynamism on the defensive end. With the upgrade of the lineup, the Bulls of the new season have played the first record in the East. This is unexpected, but it is expected.
Ball averaged 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in his final season with pelicans. It also has a 37.8% three-point shooting rate and can average 3.2 three-pointers per game. As a point guard with a height of 1.98m and an arm span of 2.05m, he has an excellent overall view and passing vision, and the team's organizational talent is vividly displayed when pushing and switching offenses. This is not the biggest value of the ball brother, his biggest value is that as a 3D player, he can improve and strengthen the bulls' overall attack and defense. In addition, three goals can also play no ball to enrich the team's offense. Coming to the Bulls' three-point shooting, they averaged 13 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks per game, and averaged 3.1 three-pointers per game with 42.3% three-point shooting.
DeRozan's addition will not only enrich the team's offense, but also improve the Bulls' certainty of playing key goals. Two consecutive whistle-blowing kills of the Walkers and Wizards are proof of this. DeRozan was an explosive dunkman when he first joined the league, but his hand was also extremely soft. In the later stage, under the influence of Kobe Bryant, he developed a stable mid-range shot, and his independent offensive ability was also greatly improved. Later, DeRozan came to the Spurs, and after Popovich's tuning, DeRozan not only improved his organizational ability, but also made scoring more efficient.
In his three years with the Spurs, DeRozan averaged 21+5+5 per game, shooting 66 percent from the basket and 44 percent from mid-range. The three-point shooting percentage is 24.8%. In addition to the instability of the outside three points, DeRozan's scoring is also reassuring. So you just have to give the ball to DeRozan and he'll always figure out how to put the ball into the basket. When it came to the Bulls, DeRozan's scoring became more efficient, averaging 25.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, and even the long-criticized three-point shooting rate he shot a career-high 35.2 percent.
Caruso is the role player that all teams want to have. If it were not for the Lakers' desperate bet in exchange for Wei Shao, the Lakers would not have been willing to replace the defensive toughster. In addition to being fierce in defense, Caruso is also extremely smart at playing. As long as Caruso plays, he can observe the situation on the field very well and make the judgment that is most favorable to the team. Caruso can quickly defend against the opponent's quick attack, can also hold the ball long pass to assist teammates to complete the easy scoring, and can also run out of the open space by counter-cutting blocking to shoot three points. The most important thing is that Caruso is a player who rarely makes mistakes. After coming to the Bulls, Caruso averaged 8.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals per game, and his three-point shooting rate was as high as 36.4%. He is an indispensable role player in the Bulls.
The reinforced Bulls, apart from some weaknesses in the front, have reached excellent form in all positions of the team. But if you look back at the teams that have won titles in recent years, they all have the league's top small forwards. Alphabet Brother, James, Leonard, Durant, which one is not the league's top ten superstars. Moreover, the bulls core players are not known for their defense except for the ball brother. Moreover, the bull's overall killing ability is weak. If the Bulls make it into a playoff game that encounters a defensive upgrade, can their overall shooting fate be limited, and their scoring can be well delayed?
The Bucks, Nets, Heat and Bucks in the East are either extremely offensively talented, or comprehensive and resilient. Once the Bulls meet one of them in the playoffs, can they still play the dominant game of the regular season? The Bulls' desire to win the title this season is probably just the common aspiration of chicago united center fans.
Now the bull is on the way to rise, if one day the bull really wins the championship. I think Jordan and Rose, who were sitting on the bench at the Union Center, must have been very pleased!