DISASSEMBLY FOR WEMBY?
After the All-Star break, questions need answers, including whether Bulls should tank for the draft
The Bulls crash-landed into the All-Star break on a six-game losing streak, having dropped to 11th in the Eastern Conference.
The break offered a relief from their recent struggles as All-Star Weekend highlighted the growth of Ayo Dosunmu and the timeless greatness of DeMar DeRozan.
But the Bulls must turn their attention to the final 23 games of the season and the most pressing question: What happens now?
1. Will the Bulls make the playoffs?
The Bulls are in a tough spot. They’re seven games below .500 at 26-33 and two games behind the Toronto Raptors (28-31) for the 10th spot in the East and the final berth in the play-in tournament.
In fact the Bulls are as close to 13th place — the Orlando Magic (24-35) — as they are to 10th. The 12th-place Indiana Pacers (26-34) are only a half-game behind the Bulls.
FiveThirtyEight gives the Bulls only an 8% chance of making the playoffs — and their chances of winning the NBA Finals are less than 1%.
The schedule down the stretch is on their side. The Bulls will face the 10th-easiest schedule in the league, according to Tankathon,
2. Will DeMar DeRozan be available?
DeRozan missed the final two games before the All-Star break with a right quadriceps strain after playing through the injury since mid-December. Before sitting out, DeRozan said the pain had been “bad” for weeks and heavily limited his ability to play.
However, DeRozan said Sunday he expects to be 100% by Friday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets and plans to close the season without any future absences. He underwent treatment and did not play basketball for five days leading up to the All-Star Game. After
that rest, DeRozan said he felt more comfortable and prepared to return to full action this week.
DeRozan prides himself on his ability to play through pain, especially when it matters most for his team. It
will be a wait-and-see situation for the Bulls as they approach the final stretch with their star recovering.
3. What’s the impact of Lonzo Ball’s absence?
The Bulls shut down Ball for the season Tuesday as he continues to try to recover from a meniscus injury suffered 13 months ago.
This shouldn’t change much for the Bulls’ approach to the end of the season. It had been clear for months Ball would not be available. He hasn’t returned to running at full speed and hasn’t been able to play basketball since he first injured his left knee in January 2022.
The Bulls signed veteran guard and Chicago native Patrick Beverley on the buyout market Tuesday, but that move is less focused on replacing Ball and more targeted at improving weaknesses on the active roster.
4. Would it help to tank?
This is a valid question for Bulls fans who are more eager about the future than the end of this season. The Bulls owe their 2023 first-round draft pick to the Magic from the Nikola Vučević trade — unless it lands in the top four.
The Bulls have the seventh-worst record in the NBA. According to Tankathon, that means they would have a 32% chance to grab a top-four pick in the lottery if they closed the season in the same position. Those chances rise if they drop further in the standings.
But the Bulls also face one of the easiest schedules in the league to close the season. It would take a true effort to tank, something Bulls players haven’t expressed any interest in attempting.
“This is our job,” Zach LaVine said after the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last Thursday. “We’re not just throwing in the towel.”