Takeaways from Bulls Media Day |
It is a very painful time to be a Chicago Sports fan right now. Not only are the Cubs and White Sox coming off of MLB seasons where neither of them made the playoffs, but you also have the Chicago Bears stuck in the middle of a 14-game losing streak and starting to look like the worst team in the league once again. Throw in the Chicago Fire, who have played better, but remain on the outside looking in, and there hasn't been much to get excited about in sports this year.
Perhaps the winter months will bring more excitement across the board, with Connor Bedard getting drafted by the Blackhawks and looking like the real deal while the Bulls try one more time to run it back with the roster they have assembled. Speaking of the Bulls, the official start of the Bulls season kicked off on Monday, with the team hosting their annual media festivities. This allows the media to get up close and personal with the team to discuss last season and what to expect in 2023-24. As expected, several players and coaches met with the media to discuss certain things, but a few pieces stood out more than others.
One of the biggest stories surrounding the Bulls camp the past two seasons has been the ongoing knee injury of Lonzo Ball that saw not only miss last season but is expected to keep him out of this also. Now, in year three of his massive four-year deal, Ball has played in 51 games with the Bulls before going down with what could be a career-altering injury. When healthy, Ball was one of the best perimeter players on the team and was a massive reason why the Bulls were 38-17 at one point and patrolling the best record in the Eastern Conference. Since his absence, this team has been nine games under .500, but has still made the playoffs in the past two seasons. Although he is expected to miss another season, Ball seemed rather upbeat and confident at Media Day, not only about his team but also about returning to the court in the near future. Well, that is a good thing, considering the Bull's ongoing need for a PG; at what point do you have to realize you may never get the old Ball back? At this point, having Ball back on the floor would be a massive win for him as he will continue to try this season to return to as close to 100% as he can be.Lonzo Ball seems surprisingly confident
Demar DeRozan is all business
One of the big stories to follow all season long will be the future of Demar DeRozan with this franchise. Now entering the final year of his contract, DeRozan would love an extension to remain in Chicago, but knows a trade is a real possibility depending on where this team is in the standings this season.
Since joining the Bulls, DeRozan has been nothing, but clutch on the offensive end, and you could make the case that he has been their best offensive player, even ahead of Zach Lavine. Some players may let the ongoing contract talks get to them, but not DeRozan. He understands that this league is a business and has been around long enough to shrug off rumors or any talks like this.
He is ready to come to work from day one this season and prove his worth to the Bulls front office that he is worth bringing back. Should they feel the same, it would mean that the Bulls are winning a ton of games and putting themselves in a position to make a deep playoff run.
Front Office knows it is now or never
Perhaps the most important takeaway from the day is that of the Billy Donovan and Arturas Karnisovas presser. The Current Head Coach and President of the team acknowledged that although there were plenty of positives to take away from last season, such as their top-5 ranking in overall defense, they also missed the mark on a lot of things.
One of those things was the continued struggle to find consistent perimeter shooting, which has hampered this team in the past. To improve that aspect of their game, the Bulls not only hired well-respected shooting coach Peter Patton, but also used what free agent funds they had to retain Coby White and signed Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig to free agent deals.
Those three should bring with them the consistent outside shooting that this team lacked last season, and if that holds true, they will be a better and more consistent offensive group. Donovan and Karnisovas also acknowledged that a good start is necessary this season to keep the core intact, and should they struggle out of the gate, it may be time to blow things up and start fresh for the 2024-25 season.
