Find someone who’s as committed to you as the Chicago Bulls are to the NBA’s Play-In Tournament.
With a victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night, the organization officially clinched a spot in the Play-In for the third consecutive season. As of right now, the Bulls currently sit 10th with six games left on the calendar. However, their chance of climbing back into the No. 9 seed in the coming days feels pretty darn good. The Miami Heat are only a half-game ahead and have battles against the Celtics, Grizzlies, and Bucks on the schedule. As for the Bulls, they will round out the week with matchups against the tanking Trail Blazers and Charlotte Hornets.
Chicago also holds the tiebreaker over Miami. While they play one more time before the postseason begins, the Bulls won their first two meeting against the Heat to secure the advantage in the season series. In other words, if the teams were to finish with identical records, the Bulls would possess the No. 9 seed and thus host the 9v10 game at the United Center.
Now, for what it’s worth, the Bulls could technically still rise up to either the Eastern Conference ladder. The Magic and Hawks each hold only a 2.5-game lead over the Bulls. With that being the case, Basketball-Reference’s Playoff Probabilities Report gives Chicago a 13.6 percent chance to steal the No. 8 seed over this final week and a half (and a 0.7 percent chance to move into No. 7). Now, do I actually see this happening? No. This is a pretty sizable cushion with only 11 games left to go. But crazier things have happened, and the Bulls do have a very easy schedule down the stretch.
Another question we have to consider is … does any of this even matter? A third straight Play-In Tournament appearance is difficult for many to get excited about. The Bulls have made this feel like something worth pursuing year in and year out, which isn’t the way practically every other team in the NBA sees it. Since the inception of the tournament structure we see today in 2021, Atlanta and New Orleans are the only teams to appear in the tournament three straight years. Are these the footsteps worth following?
The Miami Heat are also on the brink of making their third straight Play-in this season, but they at least have an NBA Finals run to point to in one of those seasons. The Bulls aren’t about to experience a similar fate. Indeed, if Chicago is even lucky enough to snatch the No. 8 seed, I believe most would predict a sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers. And is that really worth it, especially considering a lottery pick would be thrown at the door in exchange?
Maybe … maybe not.
Why is This Play-In Appearance Different?
Look, there is no denying that this situation is different than in years past. The biggest and most meaningful distinction is that the team has leaned heavily on its young talent as opposed to a veteran core. Coby White, Josh Giddey, and Matas Buzelis continue to start every game and have had legitimately encouraging flashes over the last month-plus. The only reason they’re even in a position to potentially host the Play-In is because of their red-hot March that saw Giddey turn heads with an epic buzzer beater, Buzelis score a career-high, and White earn a Player of the Month award.
With all three of these guys playing big, impactful minutes, there is a case to be made that this competitive Play-In environment can be another important step in their overall development. Unlike the last two years when it was DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic manning the wheel, it will be these youngsters’ responsibility to keep the season alive. Not only could it be important for this front office to see how these guys perform in that environment, but it is an experience that can help show players everything it takes to truly compete at a postseason level.
If the Baby Bulls ball out, earn a playoff series, and somehow win a game, it will be hard not to feel more optimistic about the foundation they have to build on moving forward. At the same time, what if they get their teeth kicked in, as most would project? Is that lesson really worth teaching right now, or might it be better to take the small victories from the end of the season, add another lottery pick, and look toward the future?
Why is It More of the Same?
The Play-In Tournament is still the Play-In Tournament. The truth is the Bulls still haven’t shown that they are anything more than the 9th or 10th best team in the Eastern Conference, DESPITE the roster changes they have made. Again, we can at least take some solace in knowing that young talent is putting them in this position, but it still speaks to the caliber of team the Bulls currently have.
This roster has a LONG way to go before it’s competing with the Top 6 squads in the Eastern Conference. As good as Giddey and White have been, the truth is the Bulls are still absent a clear-cut No. 1 player and potential superstar. And this is a star’s league. While the draft may not be the only way to add a potential franchise-changing piece, this team should be eager to throw as many darts at the board as possible. More specifically, they should be eager to throw some darts in the lottery, where you have a much higher chance of finding a difference-maker. The longer they stay in the Play-In mix, however, the further they step away from the board and thus the less likely they are to hit a bullseye.
Speaking of which, we probably shouldn’t forget that the Bulls are still in this situation primarily because of their veterans. Zach LaVine played out of his mind for the first half of the season, while Nikola Vucevic also shot lights out from long range. They were 18-20 at one point! So, yes, I recognize that these young Bulls have played well in recent weeks, but they also went 2-9 following the trade deadline. How can we say for certain that this existing group would have had the Bulls in the Play-In position from the jump? We simply shouldn’t forget how much of a factor the veterans still played this season.
None of this is to say you can’t enjoy what the Bulls have done over the last couple of weeks. You can, and I have. However, I remain very hesitant to take any sort of victory lap or significantly change how I view this franchise. Everything boils down to the results at the end of the day, and this season’s results have proven to be nothing more than the same.
