Chicago Bulls: 3 storylines that will come to an apex in final stretch

The Chicago Bulls are one of the most interesting teams to watch in the final weeks of the year. Despite having a losing record, the team is still making a push towards the playoffs, or at least the play-in tournament. That’s part of why they decided to go all-in at the deadline, bringing in All-Star center Nikola Vucevic.

The Bulls are an enigma at this point in the season. There’s now plenty of talent in the rotation, yet the team is not playing as well as they should be as they continue to adjust during Billy Donovan’s first season as head coach.

What will the last few weeks of the Chicago Bulls season bring? Here are three storylines to keep an eye on down the stretch.

If there’s one thing this Bulls team has going for them, it’s Zach LaVine. On April 9, LaVine went supernova in the first half, dropping 39 points, including 25 straight for the team, en route to a career-high 50 points. And yet, the Atlanta Hawks still managed to defeat the Bulls by 12 points.

And now, LaVine is in the league’s health and safety protocols. He was expected to miss several games and has already missed three. It’s not clear how much longer LaVine will be out, but the Bulls are dead in the water without their best player, so the franchise is hoping for a speedy return.

With the trade deadline in the past, we’re officially in the homestretch of the 2021-22 season. There is still plenty to be decided for each team, both on and off the court.