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

4. They still might not be playoff ready in 2019-20

This is a young team coming off an injury-plagued 60 loss season. While they should be much more competitive next season, dreams of a playoff run should be tempered with the realities facing the squad.

For starters, the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons, won 41 games this season. Theoretically, the Bulls would need to improve by 19 games to match that effort. Of course, it’s possible, but any type of jump that large would be necessitated by the addition of a high-level rookie in the draft.

This team showed weakness this season, primarily by not having consistent point guard play. Statistically speaking, Kris Dunn produced decent stats with11.3 points and 6.0 assists per game, but his future in Chicago is questionable at best. Even if he returns, Dunn will likely need to compete for a starting spot in the lineup. If the Bulls don’t win the lottery on May 14, the front office might target backcourt college stars Ja Morant or Darius Garland.

Of course, if Zion Williamson falls into the Chicago Bulls’ lap, all bets are off. Williamson’s arrival would signal a change in focus and speed up the rebuild. The franchise should expect improvement in 2019-20, but based on the performance this past season, the road is still long and winding.