DeMar DeRozan, who made two All-Star Games in three seasons with the Bulls, is now playing for the Kings. Chicago, in turn, seems to be acknowledging that it’s not a contender anymore, though everybody outside of that front office could have told you that. The Bulls didn’t get the draft capital many expected for Alex Caruso, opting to trade the All-Defensive guard for Josh Giddey instead of picks. However, at just 21 years old, Giddey represents a small shift toward prioritizing the future.
Chicago also took on a bit of a project in drafting Matas Buzelis, a top prospect from last year’s G League Ignite team. Buzelis is very talented, but he needs a lot of work. But while these moves signal baby steps in the right direction, the Bulls aren’t likely to find themselves at the very bottom of the NBA standings this season.
DeRozan’s absence will be felt, especially in crunch time, but the Bulls still have Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Say what you want about them, but LaVine can still put up 25 points per game, and Vucevic remains a versatile scorer who dominates the glass. It’s hard to imagine the Bulls completely bottoming out with those two playing significant minutes, especially under head coach Billy Donovan. Donovan, who has never won fewer than 31 games, even in the COVID-shortened 72-game season, knows how to keep teams competitive.
The Bulls also have some promising young talent around LaVine and Vucevic. Giddey, Coby White and Patrick Williams are likely to join them in the starting lineup, and all of them have some game. Giddey, a big point guard with elite court vision, should thrive with the on-ball opportunities he’ll get in Chicago. He only fell out of favor in Oklahoma City because the emergence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made it hard for the franchise to play Giddey on the ball. With his shaky outside shooting, Giddey isn’t useful if he’s not running an offense. White, meanwhile, averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 assists per game last season and has emerged as a flamethrower along the perimeter. Williams, though injury-prone, is a versatile 6-foot-7 forward who shoots nearly 40.0% from 3 and is a strong defender across multiple positions.
If this is indeed the starting lineup, Chicago’s offense could exceed expectations. The bigger concern will be defense. The Bulls are likely to rank in the bottom third of the league in adjusted defensive rating. However, that won’t necessarily ruin their chances of hitting the Over on their win total or sneaking into the Play-In tournament.
Donovan also has a solid bench unit at his disposal. Buzelis, while raw, brings athleticism, scoring potential and energy that will be exciting to watch. Lonzo Ball, once one of the NBA’s best two-way guards, is also part of this mix. Though Ball hasn’t played since the 2021-22 season due to complicated knee surgeries, he claims to be feeling good and could provide a boost in limited minutes. He’ll likely share the court with Ayo Dosunmu, another guard who competes hard on both ends of the floor, making opposing backcourts uncomfortable. Torrey Craig adds toughness as a 6-foot-7 forward who takes pride in getting stops and isn’t a terrible 3-point shooter. Lastly, Jalen Smith, a surprise signing, has shown flashes of potential as a stretch big and could offer Chicago a solid 20 minutes a game.
People have been quick to write this Bulls team off, but you shouldn’t expect this group to be in the running for the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. In fact, get used to Chicago hanging around on a nightly basis.
Bulls Win Total Prediction
This just isn’t as bad of a team as people think it is, and that’s not going to change until guys like LaVine, Vucevic and Ball aren’t around anymore — and all of them are going to be very difficult to trade. That said, you might as well take advantage of them being around. Based on this team’s win total, Chicago will be undervalued in the market. So, not only should you be looking to go Over 27.5 wins, but the Bulls could also be a profitable ATS team this year. And I’m sprinkling some alt totals with them.
Bet: Over 27.5 Wins (-104) & To Win 35+ Games (+415 – 0.5 units)
