Bulls' Blueprint to Regain Contender Status in 2023
The Chicago Bulls are nowhere close to the championship picture for the 2022-23 NBA season.
Joining it for the next campaign is probably the longest of long shots, too, but it's too early to dash those dreams entirely.
While the Bulls might arguably be best off using this offseason to either reset or rebuild, the following three steps could potentially position them to compete during the 2023-24 season.
Get Lonzo Ball Back—or Find a New Floor General
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The Bulls haven't been the same since Lonzo Ball suffered a torn meniscus and bone bruise back in January 2022. They were no worse than shadow contenders at the time—a team that could win a championship if everything broke right—but they haven't made a peep in any championship conversations since.
Until Chicago gets some resolutions at point guard, the rest of its plan will never fall into place.
Ideally, that would mean getting a healthy Ball back, though that might be a stretch. He just underwent his third surgery on his left knee, and it could be quite a while before he's seen on the hardwood again.
"He's certainly got a long road to recovery, a long road to get himself at a place where he can get back on the court and playing again," Bulls coach Billy Donovan told reporters, "but I am hopeful with his work ethic and his commitment and drive and just how eager he is to play, that he's gonna exhaust every opportunity to do that."
If the Bulls don't feel great about their chances of getting Ball back, they have to find a better plan at point guard. This roster has talent, but it takes the right kind of two-way floor general to bring it all together. If Ball can't be that player, Chicago desperately needs to find someone who can.
Replace Nikola Vučević with an Athletic Defensive Anchor
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Nikola Vučević is a really good player—just not for this team.
He's a solid scorer who works best with the ball in his hands and has some serious limitations on the defensive end. Doesn't that same description fit both DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine?
The fit is less than perfect, and that's putting it lightly. That alone should be all the motivation Chicago needs to not pay Vučević as an unrestricted free agent this summer. Hopefully, he helps out and facilitates a sign-and-trade so they don't lose him for nothing, but even if he walks, there might be some addition-by-subtraction potential if Chicago finds a better fit.
An athletic interior presence who protects the paint, cleans the glass, crushes lobs and doesn't need a ton of touches could be perfect for this group.
Hit the Fast-Forward Button on Patrick Williams' Development
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So, this is kind of tricky, but when you're trying to turn a mediocre team into a title contender, that's about as tricky as it gets.
If Chicago has a path to championship contention next season, it almost certainly involves a major leap by Patrick Williams.
The No. 4 pick of the 2020 draft has long tantalized as the coveted two-way "big wing." If you're the biggest Patrick Williams believer out there, you can talk yourself into some wild possibilities for his future.
"He reminds me of Kawhi [Leonard]," DeMar DeRozan told reporters. "I know that's been thrown out there, but his build, the way he moves, everything. Kawhi's one of the greatest players to play this game, and that's high praise right there. That's what I see Pat becoming."
Is it likely Williams becomes a Kawhi clone? Not at all. Of course, it also isn't likely Chicago is competing for the crown this time next year. But if Williams somehow makes good on his massive potential, maybe the Bulls can follow his lead up the NBA pecking order.
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