Chicago Bulls: 5 takeaways from the 2018-19 NBA season

5. The Chicago Bulls aren’t that far away

Despite the team’s record, the Chicago Bulls have enough talent stockpiled to be a team on the rise in the near future. With LaVine, Markkanen, Carter and Otto Porter Jr., the front office has built a team that should be competitive in the Eastern Conference.

Despite not making the All-Star team this season, LaVine was a star in his first full season in the Windy City. He kicked off the 2018-19 campaign with four straight 30+ point performances and 14 consecutive 20+ outings. Fresh off signing a new a 4-year, $78 million contract, the UCLA product averaged 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game for the season. While he is still a defensive liability, especially off the ball, LaVine has improved defensively and figures to get better moving forward.

Markkanen might be the best overall player on the roster. He’s a 7-foot skilled big man who creates matchup problems for his opponents due to his ability to score off the dribble or shooting from long range. He’s also a tenacious rebounder, posting 20 games of double-digit rebounds this past season. In his 52 games played, Markkanen averaged 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.

When the Bulls acquired Porter near the deadline, he filled a glaring need at small forward. He gives the team a playmaking ballhandler who can score and defend, something that his predecessor Justin Holiday struggled to do at a high level. Porter’s time in Chicago was limited, but he figures to be the perfect fit for the Bulls’ offense.

With the team figuring to add another potential top-5 draft pick to the mix this summer, the future looks bright in the Windy City for this team.