The NBA holds a yearly survey for general managers to vote on NBA topics for the upcoming season. The upcoming season’s MVP, NBA Finals champion, and best player at each position are some examples of the questions on the survey. The Chicago Bulls got some recognition.
“Which team will be most improved in 2021-22?” NBA GMs said the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls gained 27 percent of the votes for this question. That more than doubled the second-place votes for the Golden State Warriors (who will be getting back Klay Thompson from injury the last season) and the Los Angeles Lakers (who traded for Russell Westbrook in the offseason).
The Bulls ended last season with a losing record. But, this offseason, they added all-star DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and many other talents. So, the question of which team is most likely to improve should be an easy one.
2021-22 https://t.co/LZK9TrZWwx GM Survey: https://t.co/PqboWybnb7
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) October 5, 2021
The Bulls received some attention in other questions too. DeRozan and Ball took the second and third places, respectively, to the question, “What was the most surprising move of the offseason?”
Additionally, Ball, DeRozan, and Alex Caruso all received votes to the question, “What was the most underrated player acquisition?”
The Bulls’ front office took significant strides to get the roster to where it is today.
These league-wide acknowledgments of offseason success go back to give credit where credit is due — the Bulls front office.
Between Arturas Karnisovas & Co., the Bulls were able to accomplish some mind-blowing moves. Something GarPax couldn’t have done in their tenure.
For example, reports came out after the DeRozan acquisition that his agent requested general managers fly to Los Angeles to pitch him their teams. Marc Eversley, general manager for the Bulls, took the first flight out and made his prior relationship with DeRozan back in Toronto pertinent to the situation.
Another great example here. Karnisovas was tied to Ball since last season’s trade deadline and persistently capitalized on it within minutes of free agency opening in the summer. And while that move is possible tampering, Karnisovas still manifested, signing one of the most promising young point guards in the league.
J.J Polk, Bulls cap manager, simultaneously deserves the very tip of the cap for his contract maneuvers. Polk navigated the salary cap and simultaneously used bi-annual and mid-level exceptions to mitigate cap scares. One example of that is Caruso’s contract.
It’s safe to say that the Bulls took many steps in the right direction this offseason.
Bulls fans should be excited about the team’s recognition for their offseason because it’s clear the league is aware of how dangerous Chicago is becoming.
They added extra versatilities to the offense, like DeRozan as a small-ball-forward and Ball as a fast-paced point guard. On the flip side, the front office put a lot of emphasis on the defense too. Caruso is an excellent example of that as one of the premier perimeter defenders in the league, holding the eighth-best defensive rating last season.
The Bulls are a guaranteed winning franchise this season, and the league knows it. All they have to do now is find their chemistry on the court and put that “winning mindset” into fruition.
On Tuesday night, they got a head start on that mission, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first preseason game, 131-95.
