The Chicago Bulls secured a spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with their 137-118 win over the Toronto Raptors on April 1.
Currently, the Bulls sit 10th in the East. That means Chicago would need to win two play-in tournament games to qualify for the postseason. However, the ninth, eighth, and seventh seeds are all still attainable for Billy Donovan’s team. Only 2.5 games separate Chicago from the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic.
“We’ve put the standings up there,” Donovan said during his postgame news conference. “The reality is we’re in the bottom of the league in the East. I think we have six or seven games left, there’s been no talk with the front office in terms of resting or pulling guys…We have to try to continue to get better and to improve…We are somewhat of a new group with the additions that we’ve added.”
The Bulls have found their stride at the perfect time. Both Coby White and Josh Giddey have taken their games to new levels. Tre Jones and Matas Buzelis are both thriving off the bench.
As things currently stand, the Bulls will face the Miami Heat in the opening round of the play-in tournament. However, Donovan will be keen to see his team secure an eighth or seventh seed, as that would provide a potentially easier path into the playoffs.
Nikola Vucevic Could Stick With Bulls
Regardless of how things play out for the Bulls this season, Nikola Vucevic could still be in the rotation next season. The veteran big man has been floated as a potential trade chip over the last 18 months. Yet, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times recently reported that Vucevic would like to see out the final year of his contract with the franchise.
“One player who’s suddenly buying in — and would like to stay another season and finish out his contract — is Vucevic,” Cowley wrote. “That’s a bit surprising, especially after good friend DeMar DeRozan was traded to the Kings and Alex Caruso to the Thunder last summer, followed by the LaVine trade. All signs had pointed to Vucevic being traded by the Feb. 6 deadline, and when he wasn’t, there were concerns he’d check out.”
Vucevic has been one of the Bulls’ best players this season. He’s averaging 18.5 points, 10 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, shooting 52.8% from the field and 39.7% from three-point range.
Bulls’ Billy Donovan Impressed by Team’s Resilience
During a March 28 media availability, Donovan praised his team’s resilience. He noted how the roster is fairly new, following the decision to part with Zach LaVine at the trade deadline.
“There’s just a mentality inside the team,” Donovan said. “I think they’ve grown close together, and they realize that with eight or nine or however many games we have left, they wanna try to do something. They really do, and I really appreciate it. Every day, I feel like they come in and give me what they have. I think they give each other what they have. I think it’s the most powerful thing. They have a belief. That they believe they can do it. That, to me, is powerful, and I wanna make sure they maintain that.”
It will be interesting to see how resilient the Bulls are once the post-season begins. After all, they face an uphill battle to make the playoffs. Nevertheless, the team’s recent production has given the fanbase reason to remain hopeful, and the big win over Toronto certainly helped.
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