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Chicago Bulls: Three reasons for optimism in the second half of the season

By Christopher Jeter

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 24: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls brings the ball up the court against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the United Center on February 24, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 24: Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls brings the ball up the court against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the United Center on February 24, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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Chicago Bulls (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Chicago Bulls (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

2. Lauri Markkanen returning to the Chicago Bulls after the All-Star break

Heading into a contract year, this was Lauri Markkanen’s last chance to realize the potential many people thought he would attain, and in the 14 games he’s played this year, it looked like he finally turned a corner, at least until he injured his shoulder.

Markkanen hasn’t played since Feb. 5 against the Orlando Magic and isn’t expected back until at least after the All-Star intermission. Whenever his return happens, he will be a welcome sight for his teammates and the fans.

Before getting hurt, Markannen put up a career-high 29.8 points per 100 possessions with a 65.4 true shooting percentage. Advanced metrics are high on his offense, too: his 1.1 offensive Estimated Plus/Minus (EPM) ranks in the 81st percentile despite the time he’s missed.

Powering this uptick in value is his proficiency at the rim; he’s shooting 71 percent at the rim, which places him in the 92nd percentile and, to further focus that scope, he’s making 80.9 percent of his shots inside of three feet. Oh, and that smooth shooting stroke is finally producing better than league-average results from 3-point range (39.6 percent on 7.2 attempts per game), especially from the corners (58.3 percent).

His defense still leaves plenty to be desired (-0.8 defensive EPM; 30th percentile), but like Zach LaVine, it’s not bad enough to point to him as the primary issue with Chicago’s improving-but-still-sketchy numbers on that end (0.4 points per 100 worse than the league average).

All in all, the Bulls have benefitted from Markkanen’s improvements, and they probably can’t wait to see him back on the court.

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