The Chicago Bulls will meet the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Before the season, even with the reinforcements that the Bulls brought in, many would have said that this would never happen. It was expected that the Bulls might make the play-in at best, while the Bucks could dominate the Eastern Conference and get the first seed.

 

Chicago actually held the top seed for a good chunk of the season, while Milwaukee got off to a sluggish start. By the time the regular season ended, both teams got closer to where they were expected to be, with the Bulls falling to No. 6 and the Bucks getting the No. 3 seed. Milwaukee is the heavy favorite with MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way, but don't count Chicago out just yet, even despite the recent struggles for the Windy City-based squad.

Let's look at three bold predictions for the Chicago Bulls versus the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*

Chicago Bulls Playoff Predictions vs. Bucks

DeMar DeRozan will average over 30 points per game

Despite his age, DeRozan just put up his best season in the NBA. The Bulls shooting guard is 32 and had some fairly silent seasons playing for the San Antonio Spurs. After signing a three-year, $82 million deal with the Bulls, many believed the storied franchise in Chicago overpaid and that DeRozan was past his prime.

Yet, DeRozan put on an offensive clinic this season, returning to the All-Star Game and likely earning an All-NBA nod. He scored 27.9 points per game, a new career-high mark, while shooting 50.4% from the field and adding 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. While the Bulls used to be Zach LaVine's team, DeRozan came in and became the alpha. In this series, he has the potential to average over 30 points per game.

The reason why the Bulls will rely most on DeRozan in this matchup is his ability to sink shots, even with a ton of defensive attention. While the league has gradually moved to the 3-point line, DeRozan kept on shooting the midrange. From 10-16 feet, DeRozan connected on 51.1% of his attempts this year, which is lethal. His footwork and ability to get to his spots are close to unmatched in the NBA, and this will be helpful as the game slows down in the playoffs.

The Bucks will throw plenty of bodies at him, including Jrue Holiday, and likely dare others to beat them. Even so, DeRozan will not be denied his buckets and will go off, helping to change the narrative of his playoff performance in the process.

The Bulls' second-best player will be Nikola Vucevic 

Nikola Vucevic is far removed from his best offensive days as part of the Orlando Magic. He is now 31 years old and is not the efficient double-double monster he was in recent years, though he still does record plenty of double-doubles.

Yet, Vucevic has an opportunity to really stamp his authority on this series. While this was his worst regular season since 2018, the big man still put up 17.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per game on 47.3% shooting. Common wisdom would say that, just like in the regular season, DeRozan's best teammate will be LaVine, but he commands a ton of defensive attention and has been playing injured for a while now because of a nagging knee issue.

Vucevic will be going up against Brook Lopez and will be out for some revenge after Lopez gave him the business in the final week of the regular season. Lopez is an excellent defender and started to find a groove to finish the season after returning from a back injury, but he is not what he once was and Vucevic can take advantage.

It would be massive for the Bulls if Vucevic finds his outside stroke. Pulling Lopez away from the rim would open things up for the rest of Chicago's offense. Getting Vucevic going in the pick-and-pop game would make life more difficult for a Bucks defense that has not been quite as dominant this season, even though they still control the paint very well.

Simply put, the Bulls need a big series from Vucevic, who is also a willing passer and can hurt Milwaukee in multiple ways. He has the ability to deliver, even if this has not been a great season for him.

The Bulls will put a scare in the Bucks and could eliminate them

In all honesty, the Bucks are a very tough matchup for any team in the league. They have a suffocating defensive lineup on paper, with Antetokounmpo, Lopez, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and other pieces of their roster.

However, they have not been quite as great as their reputation suggests. As mentioned, Lopez missed a ton of time and is not quite what he once was, which is one reason why Milwaukee's defensive rating ranks in the middle of the pack. The Bucks are susceptible to 3-point shooting, which is not a strength of the Bulls with Lonzo Ball out, but it is still something to note.

It is true that a lot of the Bulls have either missed time or underperformed in the second part of the season. That is why, after spending much time in the top four, they fell down to sixth and lost home-court advantage.

However, some time off this week should hopefully help guys like LaVine and Alex Caruso get healthy. DeRozan is unstoppable and could be that insurance policy in the clutch. LaVine, although playing injured, can get hot and could be a major factor if he is feeling it. While the Bucks have excellent interior defense, Vucevic could use his experience to find a way around it and perhaps do damage from the outside.

It will be tough and it would be unexpected, but the Chicago Bulls can still battle the Bucks in this series and perhaps even pull off an upset if things go right.