Chicago Bulls: Grading each starter through 10 games
By Jason Elbaum
Coming off of a 105-87 loss at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, the Chicago Bulls have finished their first 10 regular season games and stand at 2-8. Fans have had the chance to learn a great deal about this year’s version of Fred Hoiberg’s squad, so let’s critique the starting five based on what we’ve seen so far.
At the beginning of the 2017-18 NBA season, the outlook for the Chicago Bulls was fairly gloomy, as they look like a team destined to battle for the best odds of receiving the first overall pick in what looks like a top-loaded 2018 NBA Draft class. Even still, the Bulls look to develop their current young players while struggling to develop a winning culture under Fred Hoiberg.
With all of the concern surrounding the team’s lack of competitiveness in the league and Hoiberg’s job security as coach, one thing that has been consistent for Chicago this season is its starting five. The Bulls have sent out just three different lineups this year, with four players starting in all of their first 10 games.
This is especially impressive if you consider the injuries and off-court issues that the club has had to deal with in recent months. High-flying shooting guard Zach LaVine is still recovering from a torn ACL and is expected to return toward the end of November.
The situation between power forward Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis has been awful for team chemistry, and it does not appear Mirotic will be returning to the team this season. Regardless of the players that are not playing, let’s give some grades to the players who have had the opportunity to start for the Bulls this year.