With the end of 2022 upon us, and 35 games of inconsistent Chicago Bulls basketball in the books, it’s time to look to next year and speculate where this team is headed, and what needs to change for them to reach the now outlandish expectations set forth by management in the preseason.
The Chicago Bulls have been an odd team all year. In a way, they’ve improved from last year, showing the necessary grit, toughness, and frankly skill to hang with the top teams in the NBA. Their 7-1 record against Boston, Milwaukee, Brooklyn, and Miami stands out, but it’s their abysmal 4-8 record against bottom teams that equally stands out as well.
If that 4-8 were flipped, the Bulls would currently be 20-15, and not embroiled in any of the controversies that they’ve seen come their way this season. Yet, they are the only ones to blame for their struggles as defensive effort and consistent intensity have been their Achilles heel when not matching up against the league’s best teams.
The Chicago Bulls still play another 47 games this season, and with roughly 3 games separating the 6 and 10 seeds, there’s a lot of potential mobility left for the Bulls to make a run and climb the standings by the end of the season. Even if Lonzo doesn’t come back this year, there’s more than enough talent on this team to make the playoffs if they play the right way.
Anything less than a second-consecutive playoff appearance for the Chicago Bulls would be a major disappointment.
However, for all the Bulls’ struggles this season, it appears that they are poised to enter 2023 on a strong note. Having won 5 of their last 6, thereby saving their season, they now are back in the play-in territory with room to keep moving up. Their schedule does stiffen up a bit here as the new year gets underway, but the Chicago Bulls have shown they can play with anyone this year – their issue has been sometimes choosing not to play against those they don’t respect.
What follows here are some new years resolutions for the Chicago Bulls, and how fulfilling them could positively impact the team.