Chicago Bulls: 3 takeaways from the 2018 offseason

3. Apparently defense will be optional in Chicago

It looks like defense will be played at a minimum in Chicago next season. After re-signing LaVine and adding Parker, the duo will team with Lauri Markkanen to lead one of the worst defensive teams last season. Somehow, it appears that the 2018-19 Bulls could be even worse defensively.

The Bulls allowed 110.8 points per 100 possessions last season, placing them 24th in the league. Opponents shot an effective field goal rate of 54.2 percent, which put the Bulls at 29th in the association. Stat heads are not rejoicing at those numbers, and with Parker and LaVine both healthy for the full season, they could get even worse.

Drafting Carter should hide some of the defensive leaks. The 6’10” center was a defensive standout during Summer League, averaging 9.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks to go with his 14.6 points per game. Carter may see an inflation in his block totals with Parker and LaVine playing matador defense in front of him. Parker has already made it known that he has little interest in displaying his defensive acumen.