The Chicago Bulls are officially back after their hot start to the season. It was an eventful offseason for the Bulls as they acquired many impact players, including DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso. They are currently tied for first in the Eastern Conference with the Washington Wizards with a record of 8-3.

Entering the season, Chicago was expected to make the postseason but not be a top seed. After the first few weeks of the season, they look strong and could even be a contender in the Eastern Conference. With that said, here are three reasons why the Bulls are officially ‘back' in the 2021-22 NBA season.

3 Reasons Bulls are back

3. Alex Caruso has been great off the bench

Bulls, Alex Caruso, Michael Jordan

One of the under-the-radar signings in free agency was the Bulls bringing in Alex Caruso. Caruso was an impactful player during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping them win a championship in the 2019-20 season. Chicago signed him to a four-year $37 million deal, and he has been worth every penny.

Caruso is averaging 8.5 points per game along with 3.6 assists. He is also leading the league in steals with 2.6 per game and is shooting 40.7 percent from three. The Bulls are winning games with a large part due to the production Caruso is providing off the bench.

 

2. DeMar DeRozan is revitalizing his career

DeMar DeRozan has started off the season on fire, putting himself in the MVP conversation early. While it will be hard to keep up MVP numbers, DeRozan is having a bounce-back campaign with Chicago. DeRozan is averaging 26 points per game along with 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

He has been one of the best players in the league this year and has propelled the Bulls to their fast start. DeRozan is going to be hard to stop this year and will help Chicago make a deep playoff run.

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1. The stars are meshing

Bulls, Zach Lavine, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, DeMar DeRozan

A lot of times, putting multiple All-Star caliber players together doesn't work out. This has not been the case as Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and DeRozan have meshed well together, leading to their quick start. Lonzo Ball has also fit well with the group as he is having a bounce-back year.

So far this season, Ball is averaging 12.6 points per game as well as 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He is also shooting a career-high 44.7 percent from behind the arc. Although it is a small sample size, Ball is playing his role well with his new team.

LaVine has also gotten off to a fast start, averaging 25.9 points per game along with 5.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists. The Bulls have finally surrounded him with great talent, and he is showing that he is an emerging superstar. LaVine could lead his team to a deep playoff run as he finally has great pieces alongside him.

Chicago is in a great place after a tremendous offseason by the front office. Head coach Billy Donovan has done a phenomenal job of putting a system together that can help all the players mesh quickly.

The Bulls will be without Vucevic for the next few games as he enters health and safety protocols. It will be an important stretch for them as stringing together a few wins without Vucevic would help them stay near the top of the Eastern Conference. This will be a competitive season for the Bulls as they are officially back.