During the All-Star break, there seemed to be one unifying theme regarding the Bulls.
Nobody missed them.
Yesterday’s one point victory aside, the Bulls have spent most of this season being unwatchable. Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn missed the first two months. Then Jim Boylen took over and made Bulls games look like bad Big Ten games. Then Wendell Carter Jr had a season-ending injury, right around the same time Zach LaVine started experiencing mid-season fatigue.
Now, with just 23 games left and the team sitting 29 games under .500, why should fans watch?
- LAURI MARKKANEN IS ON A TEAR
While LaVine and Carter belong in the conversation, Markkanen is probably the most important player on the team. After a slow start to his season that was delayed 23 games because of an elbow injury, Markkanen has found his groove and is wreaking havoc on a regular basis.
Over his last 15 games, he’s averaging 21.7 points and 11.5 rebounds. He’s got his confidence back from deep, he’s shooting 40% on over 7 attempts per night. Markkannen is taking that second-year leap we all wanted to see and it’s worth tuning in for.
2. OTTO PORTER IS A DIFFERENCE MAKER
I don’t know how Porter will be perceived in this town, because there’s no question that he’s overpaid. If you’re reading this, try not to let his contract get in the way of enjoying his game.
In his first five games as a Bull, Porter is averaging 21.5 points on 14 shots. That average will come down as he’s shooting an unsustainable 56% from deep, but the spacing he creates for LaVine and Markkanen is impossible to miss.
Combine that with his ability to actually defend, something the Bulls have sorely lacked on the perimeter, and he kills two birds with one stone.
3. WILL JIM BOYLEN KEEP HIS JOB?
We’ve been pretty harsh on Boylen over here at Sports Mockery, myself included. But I think it’s deserved, to this point he’s shown that he’s in over his head.
In fairness to Boylen, it’s not his fault that the front office put him in this position. They didn’t give him an offseason to implement his scheme or his day-to-day operation, and that’s tough.
John Paxson still endorses him, he’s under contract through next season, and the Bulls still have to pay Fred Hoiberg $5M if he doesn’t get a job for the 2019-20 season. If the Bulls continue winning, Boylen will stay.
I’m not saying you need to spend any of your hard earned money on tickets, but there are reasons to tune in when they’re on so give it a shot.
