After Harden left the Nets to join Embiid, he was optimistic that Philadelphia would dominate the East. But as their opponent, Bulls main defender LaVine apparently doesn't think so.
In an interview, LaVine said they had no opponents in the East as long as their lineup remained healthy and played what they should have.
'When we didn't have injuries and played the way we were supposed to play, I don't think anyone in the East was stronger than us. Lavin said.
LaVine should be confident in his team, but it remains to be seen whether the Bulls are really that strong without injuries. So far this season, the Bulls have won some games, such as they have twice defeated the Nets led by Durant and Harden, and have also defeated the Lakers led by Davis and Westbrook (James is absent), the problem is that the Nets and Lakers have had great ups and downs this season, so such victories do not have much reference value for them.
On the contrary, the Bulls' poor performance against other league powerhouses deserves their vigilance. Previously, they had won less against the Warriors, Suns, Heat, Bucks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies and other teams. The Warriors, led by Curry, lost a total of 68 points. In addition, they faced Philadelphia with a 0-3 loss.
These losses, the Bulls some games missed some of the main players, but most of the time, they are more neat lineup, but in the end, they still suffered a lot of losses.
So, Lavin's current statement is meaningless, after all, who is stronger in the end? It also depends on who can go further in the playoffs. Although the Bulls still have a chance to play better in the playoffs, they should still be more low-key after losing strong conversations in the regular season.