Subscribe
Follow Us
The Chicago Bulls are riding a high heading into the All-Star break. Ahead of Thursday's matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, they're currently riding a five-game winning streak which puts them at the very top of the Eastern Conference with a 38-21 record.
The most impressive part is that Billy Donovan's squad is managing to win games without several key players such as Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, and Alex Caruso. But, the MVP play of DeMar DeRozan has elevated the Bulls as he continues to carry his squad on a nightly basis. Chicago will definitely be thrilled about where the team is at right now. But, there is still an entire second half left before the postseason and several questions that will need to be answered.
3 Burning Questions For Bulls After All-Star Break
Can DeRozan continue to play at this high level?
When you think of the Bulls this season, DeRozan is the first player who comes to mind. The veteran is absolutely lighting the league on fire, averaging a ridiculous 28.1 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per night. He's currently fourth in the Association in scoring and just passed the legendary Wilt Chamberlain for the most 35+ point games in a row with seven while shooting over 50% from the field.
DeRozan has to be considered an MVP candidate given the way he's playing. But, the question is, can he really keep this up? The 32-year-old has always been a leader in his career and with the Bulls missing important pieces, he's taken it upon himself to step up and really take the bull by the horns. Sure, he's obviously not going to drop 35+ points every night, but even if he continues on this same path in the second half of the campaign, it's going to be massive for Chicago's playoff hopes.
There are no signs of DeRozan slowing down, either. He impacts the game in so many different ways, whether he's dishing out an assist to a cutting teammate or draining jumpers from mid-range. The confidence DeMar is playing with is unmatched and although the likes of Lonzo and LaVine are integral to the Bulls, just how far Chi-Town can go in the postseason will come down to DeRozan's ability to put the team on his back and clutch up when they need it most.
Can Nikola Vucevic keep improving?
Since coming over from the Orlando Magic at the trade deadline last season, Nikola Vucevic hasn't been the same player. He was a guy who was averaging 24 and 12. But with the Bulls, his scoring, in particular, has drastically been worse. While Vooch doesn't get as many touches as he did with a lowly Magic team, the big man is struggling to provide consistency for Chicago down low. He's averaging 18.2 points and 11.7 boards in 2021/22, which are by no means bad numbers.
However, Vucevic has always been a serviceable three-point shooter. This season, he's draining just 31% of his triples compared to almost 40% a year ago. When it comes to scoring around the hoop, it feels like Vooch is rushing his shots far too often. There are a lot of easy buckets that he's just flat-out missing. That being said, the Bulls center is playing a lot better lately. After an awful slump in December which continued into part of January, the Montenegrin is thriving this month. Vucevic is averaging 24.1 points and 10.9 rebounds in February alone while shooting 56% from the field, which is a mile better than his 47% clip on the year.
Vooch is playing with a lot more physicality and confidence, attacking the rim with authority and using his big body to have his way around the cup. This is the way he must keep performing for the Bulls if they're going to be a legitimate threat in the playoffs. Chicago opted to trade away Wendell Carter Jr for Vucevic because they believed the 31-year-old was the answer to their frontcourt woes. It simply comes down to him staying consistent. The Bulls are planning to sign Tristan Thompson as a backup, but regardless, Vooch must keep thriving.
Health is wealth
The Bulls are a very solid team. But in order to make a title run, they need to be at full strength. Ball is still out with a knee injury and isn't expected to return until March. Caruso was blindsided by Grayson Allen last month and has been sidelined because of it, but the defensive standout is expected to be back in the mix after the All-Star break. As for LaVine, he just traveled to LA to get some treatment on his knee, but he's planning to play in the festivities in Cleveland.
Don't get me wrong, with DeRozan balling out, there's no reason the Bulls won't continue to stay towards the top of the East. With Caruso coming back, that's massive for this team on both ends. Lonzo meanwhile brings a ton of playmaking and vision to Chicago. Perhaps the most important of them all though is LaVine, who is averaging 25 per night. The former UCLA guard has dealt with knee pain on several occasions this season, which is certainly a concerning sign. But, if he can really get that knee to 100% again, it gives DeRozan his running mate back and arguably one of the best star duos in the league.
The Bulls should be ecstatic with their first half. But the work has just started.
