Chicago Bulls have lottery talent and playoff hopes in 2019-20

Predictions

The last two seasons have resulted in a total of 49 wins for the Chicago Bulls. So, the likelihood of a jump to 40 or more wins in 2019-20 is small. That said, this is a team hungry for improvement. They won’t be as bad as they’ve been in the past, but they won’t make the playoffs.

A 37-45 win-loss record would indicate that the team is on the right track with 2020-21 being a more likely target for a playoff return.

Tomas Satoransky and Coby White combine to give the Bulls an exciting backcourt, both showing capabilities to play on and off the ball and compliment LaVine and Markkanen well. White earns a place on the All-Rookie team and cements himself as the Bulls point guard of the future.

Wendell Carter Jr. continues to develop into the defensive anchor he was drafted to be while Boylen learns that his big man is more offensively skilled than he gives him credit for and encourages him to shoot more from outside the paint.

Kris Dunn will be traded by the trade deadline, but likely more for the sake of giving him a fresh start, not for the return the team receives, which is only a 2nd round draft pick.

The Chicago Bulls will struggle defensively again but will show marginal improvement while establishing more of an imaginative offense with lead assistant Chris Fleming, who came over from the Brooklyn Nets, serving as offensive coordinator. Fleming was instrumental in D’Angelo Russell‘s development last season and the team will see the same improvement with LaVine.

Ultimately, the Bulls will be significantly more entertaining this season chasing a playoff berth. Tanking for lottery positioning has proven to be overrated in the Windy City anyway. Learning how to win will be a crucial element of this team’s development and it will start this season.