After trading superstar Jimmy Butler and signaling their intent to rebuild this offseason, the Chicago Bulls are widely expected to be one of the worst, if not the worst, team in the league next season.
But according to Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune, those low expectations haven’t sat well with Zach LaVine, who was one of the key pieces the Bulls got from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Butler trade.
“It bothers me a little bit. … You never want to be counted out, especially as (a) competitor. We can control our own destiny. Everybody starts off zero-zero.”
It’s admirable that the 22-year-old LaVine has that competitive mindset heading into this season. But the fact of the matter is that the Bulls are lacking in talent to be as competitive as he would like them to be.
Zach LaVine is expected to be the most reliable offensive player on the roster apart from Dwyane Wade, who might not even suit up for the Bulls this season. However, LaVine might not be at his best for the entire year as he recovers from the torn ACL which he suffered last season.
Rookie Lauri Markkanen is currently playing well for Finland at EuroBasket. If he can somehow play at that type of level in his rookie year, it would be a huge boost to the Bulls.
But even if both Markkanen and LaVine do well in their debut season in Chicago, their overall talent level is such that there’s still a decent chance the Bulls will be right there near the bottom of the standings and contending for the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft.
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