The Chicago Bulls finished up yet another mediocre season last Friday night as they lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA play-in tournament. It was a disappointing season, so it was fitting for it to end in disappointing fashion. The Bulls got out to a good start in Miami as they hit a few threes early to go up 11-6, but it was all Heat after that. Miami won the game 112-91, and they are now headed to the playoffs to take on the Boston Celtics.
After going up 11-6, the Bulls surrendered a massive run and ended up going down by 20 in the second quarter. After they went down 20, the Bulls actually did a good job of weathering the storm. Chicago fought back and made it a seven point game in the third quarter, but the Heat turned things back on and ended up winning in blowout fashion.
The Bulls finished the regular season with a 39-43 record. They did get a win against the Atlanta Hawks in their first play-in tournament game, but they once again failed to make it into the playoffs. Chicago was just one win away and a victory in Miami on Friday night would’ve sent them to the playoffs, but they couldn’t get the job done.
So, another season is in the books for the Bulls. After starting 5-14, things went pretty well, but they are still far from satisfying this hungry fan base. No one really expected this team to make it to the postseason in the early stages of the year, so making it this far was exceeding expectations, but the fan base wants more. Expect Chicago to make some moves in the trade department this offseason. Here is one player that has to go.
Zach LaVine
Zach LaVine is an exceptional talent, but he doesn’t fit in with the Bulls right now and he has to be traded this offseason. It’s surprising that he even made it through this entire year without getting traded. There were rumors about a potential trade throughout the first half of the season, but nothing ever happened. LaVine battled a lot of injuries, and that certainly played into him staying put with the Bulls.
When the trade deadline was approaching, it seemed very likely the Bulls were going to trade Zach LaVine, and when the team let the deadline pass without making any moves, the fan base was quite upset. Chicago fans have felt like the front office is content with mediocrity, and failure to make moves at the trade deadline reinforced those feelings.
LaVine ended up opting for season-ending surgery shortly before the trade deadline, and that was a big reason why he stayed in Chicago for the entire year.
After starting the season 5-14, the Bulls pulled it together and played much better, and it lined up with the time that LaVine suffered his first injury of the year and was out for awhile. He is clearly a great basketball player, the Chicago seemed to gel better without him.
The offseason is now here, and the Bulls need to make some trades. It would be shocking to see Zach LaVine in Chicago when next season rolls around.
More must-reads: