© Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bulls projected to match last season's win total
The Chicago Bulls have 14 games remaining on their regular season slate. If they win half of those, they’ll match their win total from last season, which was 40. That target is certainly doable and commendable, considering the injuries to key players the Bulls have had to endure.
It’s also par for the course for a front office that has not made a trade in the last three seasons and is seemingly content with keeping the team competitive rather than aspiring for an NBA title or a deep playoff run.
A relative success
Since the trade deadline, the Bulls have compiled an even 7-7 record. With a 33-35 record, Chicago is ninth in the Eastern Conference standings. Barring an epic collapse, the Bulls will make it to the Play-in Tournament and host one game.
While some teams may not be content with such an outcome, the Bulls—or, at the very least, their front office—seem content with their relative success.
“The Bulls split their first 14 games since their latest dormant trade deadline, which might be a bummer for a lot of teams, but in Chicago, this could qualify as a success. After all, the rationale behind the inactivity was a desire to remain relevant in the play-in chase, and the Bulls have done that so far,” Zach Buckley wrote on Bleacher Report.
Keep on surviving
Despite season-ending injuries to Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams and, recently, a hip injury to Coby White, Chicago keeps finding ways to manufacture victories. The Bulls have gotten victories in the hardest of ways—through the clutch—and seem to thrive in these moments, thanks to superb performances from DeMar DeRozan, the best closer in the NBA, and steady contributions from White, Vooch, and Alex Caruso.
“Chicago probably won't string a slew of victories together, but it is equally unlikely to be derailed by a lengthy losing streak. Matching last season's record looms as a distinct possibility,” Buckley continued.
