Tier three: The playoff fringe
11. Chicago Bulls
Last season: 22-60, 13th in Eastern Conference
Notable additions: Coby White, Tomas Satoransky, Thaddeus Young
Notable subtractions: Robin Lopez, Shaquille Harrison
With most of their young core still under contract, the Chicago Bulls haven’t had to make any splashy moves this offseason. The quieter moves they have made, combined with some internal improvement, should take them out of the East’s cellar and into the fringes of the playoff picture.
Largely healthy seasons from Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine and Wendell Carter Jr. alone should be enough to increase their win total, as will a full season with Otto Porter in the rotation. Some natural growth would be expected from that group too, as they all continued to show signs of improvement over the course of last season.
As became clear during his rookie season, Markkanen holds the key to Chicago’s true potential. After making the All-Rookie First team in 2018, he took another step forward last season – that is when he was on the court. An elbow injury kept him out early in the season, while an episode of fatigue and an elevated heart rate in a March game were more cause for concern. Overall he played just 52 games, and Chicago was an abysmal 6-24 in the games that he missed.
Now fully cleared to return, Markkanen is poised for a breakout season and a potential All-Star campaign in the East. After averaging 18.7 points per game last season and holding his solid shooting numbers from his rookie season, he should once again be the focal point of Chicago’s offense.
LaVine showed signs of progress as a volume scorer last year, but still has plenty of flaws to clean up in his game. The same can be said for his rookie backcourt partner Coby White, who will have as many jaw-dropping highlights as he has inexplicable errors. The positives should outweigh the negatives, though, particularly given the long-term potential of the pair.
Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky are both underrated veterans who will bring some much-needed guidance and experience into the rotation, which should ease the load on the younger players. In the short term, the Bulls are much like their starting guards – there are plenty of holes that the opposition can exploit, but they’re on the rise and will be a hell of a lot of fun to watch.