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One thing every NBA team has to be thankful for this Thanksgiving

By Michael Shearer

Feb 13, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) knocks the ball away from Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) knocks the ball away from Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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One thing every NBA team has to be thankful for on Thanksgiving
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 21: DeMar DeRozan #11 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles the ball against the New York Knicks in the second half at United Center on November 21, 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.; Thanksgiving (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

One thing every NBA team has to be thankful for on Thanksgiving: Chicago Bulls – Everything?

Only the rosiest preseason projections had the Bulls looking this good. Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are playing the best basketball of their careers, and are smoking opponents when on the court together by huge margins.

Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso are terrorizing opponents on the perimeter. Caruso, especially, is out here extinguishing careers. The Nuggets’ poor Monte Morris is going to have to sleep with the lights on for the next few days.

Even if the Bulls’ elite defense cools off a little, there’s still upside on offense. Nikola Vucevic has had a rough start to the season, but he’s too talented to shoot this poorly for long.

Depth was a concern coming into the season, but even with Patrick Williams’ unfortunate injury, they’ve been able to patch together some strong defensive units on the second team.

Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. have made life tough on opposing bigs, and Ayo Dosonmu has been a pleasant surprise as an energy guy capable of knocking down threes. Coby White’s return should give the bench unit some more scoring punch to complement the defensive core.

The new-look Chicago Bulls (only three players remain from last season) had one of the higher variances in the league coming into the season, and pundits predicted everything from 11th in the East to championship contender.

Now, it’s clear they’ll be fighting for home-court advantage in the East, and after that… last season’s playoffs proved that anything is possible.