As it sits right now the Bulls have a very slim chance of making the playoffs. However, it’s still a chance. The Bulls have a whopping 4.6% chance of making the playoffs. Very slim and not exactly something they have full control over. Even if the Bulls win their final 4 games they don’t control whether they are in or not. The two teams ahead of them will determine that. The Indiana Pacers won last night and the Washington Wizards lost. This moved the Pacers back into the 10th seed and the Pacers to the 9th. This puts the Bulls in a tough spot with only 4 games remaining.
#NBA Eastern Conference standings pic.twitter.com/UzNlF4FFVy
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) May 11, 2021
The Bulls sit 2.5 games behind the Wizards and 3 games behind the Pacers. Here’s where things get tricky. The Wizards only have 3 games left to play and the Pacers have 4. The Bulls need to see losing streaks from at least one of those teams if they want a chance at the playoffs. Beyond that, the Bulls themselves will need to win some very tough games.
The Bulls remaining games
If the Bulls even want a chance at the playoffs they are going to have to beat some fierce competition. In 3 of the team’s final 4 games, they meet with the second and third best teams in the East.
This is no easy feat especially for the 11th place team in the East. Facing off against a Brooklyn Nets team that features forward Kevin Durant and guard Kyrie Irving is going to be a challenge. Especially having to do that two times in five days. The Bulls will need to firing on all cylinders offensively to stick with them. A loss tonight would most likely seal the team’s fate. Even with a win tonight it may be too little too late. Regardless of the things they can’t control the Bulls need to show that they can at least challenge top teams in the East. Bulls fans are beginning for a taste of what the future may hold.
The Bulls offense
Since LaVine’s return, the Bulls offense has been clicking. They have been playing how Bulls fans had hoped after the big trade for center Nikola Vucevic. Over the team’s 3 game win-streak three players, in particular, have been playing great with one another.
Zach, Vooch and Coby are combining for 68 PPG during this winning streak 🔥
Chicago's Big 3? | @GoodRanchers pic.twitter.com/niLw4xoFac
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) May 11, 2021
Many people had given up on point guard Coby White. While a lot of the arguments around him were fair his offensive potential was never in doubt. The dude can flat-out shoot the ball. He just couldn’t be the floor general everyone was hoping for. Similar to last season White is showing a lot of offensive potentials to close out the year. In his last 10 games, he’s averaging 19.4 PPG & 5.2 APG. The trio of Coby White, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic is just clicking right now. Hopefully, they can carry this high-caliber offensive performance into the team’s four remaining games. Maybe they can catch a lucky break and squeak into the play-in game. Even if they can’t it’s been good to see the team begin to develop some chemistry.
Is this what the future will hold for the Bulls?
Here’s one thing I’m fairly certain about, the duo of LaVine and Vucevic will not change. The Bulls invested quite a bit to get Vucevic paired up with LaVine. They will be the faces of the Bulls next season. These two seem to know that and want to see their chemistry continue to grow. Outside of these two, the Bulls roster is pretty much wide open. There will certainly be cuts and possibly trades but this Bulls roster will look a bit different going into next season. I would expect the Bulls to push hard to get a new point guard.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown that he believes the Chicago Bulls will be active in free agency this offseason.
Woj: Point guard is going to be at a premium for the Bulls.”
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) May 8, 2021
That’s the key piece missing for this team right now. The front office will certainly do whatever they can to bring someone in. We will get more into the future of this team when the time comes.
Hopefully, we can live in the present a bit longer with this team. Here’s to letting the Bulls get our hopes up to inevitably crush them. Tonight may be the night the Bulls playoff hopes are crushed or they will live on to fight another day. It’s a tough road to get into the playoffs for this team. Keep your eyes on Indiana and Washington if the Bulls win. We are going to need quite a bit of help.
