NBA Power Rankings Week 2: Scorching hot Miami Heat and what scares me

Last Week: (W) over TOR, (L) to NYK, (W) over UTA

The Chicago Bulls were one of the most contentious teams coming into the season. They indisputably had weaknesses on a roster that was built to “win now” and the moves to bring in multiple players were poor value. Yet once that team took the court they have been blitzing teams.

Their starting lineup is geared towards offense, with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic forming a devastating duo but even more so with DeRozan available for secondary passing and Lonzo Ball spotting up. Their bench brings the defense, with multiple athletic, active players to balance things out. They are 5-1 with their only loss a one-point defeat by the New York Knicks. The Bulls’ win over Utah legitimized their start and vaulted them up the list.

Scares Me: Losing Pat Williams for the season. The bummer in the midst of their exciting start is that second-year forward Patrick Williams is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a dislocated wrist. He was their best defensive option in the starting lineup. Against the Jazz they started Javonte Green in Williams’ place, but it could also be Alize Johnson or Derrick Jones Jr. Either way Williams was the best two-way option and now he’s out for a long time.