By the time the 2017-18 NBA All-Star break rolled around, the landscape of the season had already taken shape. If you were not in the play-offs hunt and not delusional enough to think you were (Detroit), your team was likely to be in full-blown tank mode.
For the first time in an 82-game season, nine teams could not reach the 30-win mark, and with eight of those teams currently holding their first selection in the draft, it is easy to see why players like Mike Conley, Robin Lopez, Zach Randolph and Devin Booker were left out of ‘crucial’ end-of-season matches.
Irregular starting line-ups, sporadic rotational changes and questionable late-game execution was a trend for all tanking teams, not least the Fred Hoiberg-coached Chicago Bulls. Through the disappointment of another season that failed to reach the lofty ambitions of standards set in a bygone era remains a brighter picture. A picture of youthful potential and a front office that has bucked a trend of reckless spending after the latest cap increase.
It was only 14 months ago that the Jimmy Butler led Bulls had the first-seed Celtics on the ropes having taken the first two games of their first-round play-off match-up on the road at the TD Garden. With Rajon Rondo injured and the Celtics proving too much, general manager Gar Forman and vice-president John Paxson set about rebuilding through the lens of youth with a focus on team chemistry.
The cause of much concern for Forman and Paxson was the ‘alpha’ status of Butler, Rondo and Dwyane Wade. The first move of the Bulls off-season was waiving Rondo, with Wade later agreeing to a buy-out with his hometown franchise.
Perhaps the biggest move in the NBA landscape, however, came on draft day in 2017 when the three-time all-star Butler was traded to Minnesota along with the rights to number 16 pick Justin Patton in return for 2016 number five selection Kris Dunn, 2014 lottery selection Zach LaVine and the rights to number seven selection Lauri Markkanen.
(AP Photo/Jim Mone)
The trade signified the start of a new era in the Windy City. The ‘three alphas’ had moved on, and despite the fact the trade blew the Bulls championship odds out from 100:1 to 200:1 per Westgate Las Vegas, it was an aggressive move that, despite the initial criticism, has undoubtedly reaped benefits.
The Bulls entered the 2017-18 season as the youngest team in the league with an almost unrecognisable line-up. Boasting an average age of 24 and with nobody over the age of 30, the Bulls were given a line of 21.5 wins for the season by Westgate Las Vegas.
With an eye clearly towards the future, the Bulls continued to make moves midseason with the 43 per cent three-point shooter Nikola Mirotic moved to New Orleans ultimately in exchange for another first round pick.
A year advanced from the Butler, Wade and Rondo era, whilst Chicago undoubtedly look a while from contending, they have not only exceeded their expected wins total with 27 victories, the concerns of their young roster also appear to have been answered.
The defensive-minded Kris Dunn improved his effective field goal percentage by 0.51 per cent to 0.461 per cent while averaging two steals per game. Former two-time slam-dunk champion Zach LaVine showed no signs of the ACL injury that kept him out of the start of the season.
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However, perhaps the most exciting sign for Bulls fans is the emergence of number seven selection Lauri Markkanen. The first Finnish-born player in NBA history and the NCAA college record-holder for three-pointers made by players over seven feet tall epitomises the modern NBA player, and with the solid rookie season under his belt and a little improvement on the defensive side of his game, the future is no doubt bright. Markkanen is leading a culture revival in the Windy City.
The excitement for Bulls fans does not stop here. With selection seven upcoming in the 2018 mega-draft and over $30 million in cap space, the Bulls have a genuine opportunity to launch into the free agency space with a selling point to the stars of the league: a big market city with a young core located in the weaker conference. However, reckless spending is still not the answer for these Bulls.
If the Bulls look at eastern conference rivals Philadelphia 76ers, who were not long ago in a similar position with a young squad, veteran players like JJ Redick, Marco Bellineli and Ersan Ilyasova have been able to stretch the floor with three-point shooting, an area in which Chicago finished 22nd in 2017-18. However, more importantly they provide invaluable experience and leadership while holding contracts that will allow the youngsters to be paid accordingly when the time comes.
If the Bulls can surround their developing studs with some experienced leadership while continuing to get minutes into the likes of Dunn, LaVine, Markkenan and their 2018 draft selection, there is no reason why a return to the play-offs will not be a reasonable target for the Windy City.
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