Chicago Bulls: 2017-18 team awards

Most Valuable Player(s): Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn

Determining the Bulls’ most valuable player this season wasn’t an easy decision. On one hand, you had Markkanen, who was unexpectedly given a larger role and exceeded expectations from day one.

Looking at this roster, the Bulls weren’t exactly loaded with a ton of talent. However, Markkanen was one of the few players that opposing teams had to keep a watchful eye on due to his ability to stretch the floor and get by defenders when they attempted to take away the 3-point shot.

Meanwhile, Dunn’s numbers were significantly better across the board. Despite missing the first few games of the season with a finger injury and missing another 11 games due to a concussion, Dunn played well enough to get the nod at the lead guard spot.

Sure, Zach LaVine played reasonably well in 24 games (16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per outing) following an ACL injury that kept him on the shelf for 11 months and Bobby Portis’ career season shouldn’t be overlooked either.

Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

When you look at what Markkanen and Dunn accomplished during what proved to be a difficult season at best, they both proved to be important building blocks going forward and therefore, both are deserving of being the team’s Most Valuable Players for the 2017-18 NBA season.