Bulls Predictions on Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vučević for 2023-24 Season
If you're of the belief the Chicago Bulls made the right decision to stay committed to this core, it's possible their 2023-24 NBA season opener already has you rethinking that stance.
They dropped a 124-104 decision on their home floor to the youth-filled Oklahoma City Thunder. Afterward, head coach Billy Donovan said his players were in heated discussions already when he entered the locker room.
Dropping the first tilt of an 82-game campaign isn't a big deal, but losing by 20 points on your home floor and having tensions flare up in the season-opener is less than ideal.
That doesn't mean this campaign is doomed, though. They have nearly six months to right the ship, and they may have enough talent to get this turned around.
For that to happen, though, Chicago needs its Big Three of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević to deliver. Let's project what this season could have in store for the Bulls' most notable names.
Zach LaVine Will Have a 50/40/90 Shooting Slash
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LaVine may not have showed it Wednesday night when he went just 4-of-16 from the field and 2-of-9 from range, but he's on the short list of the league's best net-shredders.
This season, he could have the historic shooting slash to prove it.
The famed 50/40/90 club—50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, 90 percent from the line—is about as exclusive as they come, but LaVine has the chops to gain entry this season. He nearly cracked it in 2020-21, when he hit 50.7 percent of his field goals and 41.9 percent of his threes, but his 84.9 free-throw percentage held him out.
He has never posted a 90-plus free-throw percentage (his best was 85.3 in 2021-22), so this is projecting some growth in his game, but his stroke says he can do it. Betting on talent is never a bad thing, so our crystal ball likes his chances.
DeMar DeRozan Won't Be Traded, but Will Pop Up in Rumors
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There are reasons to believe the Bulls should shop DeRozan this season.
Even if you don't think a teardown is necessary, you can at least question why a non-contender would hold onto a 34-year-old All-Star with an expiring contract past the trade deadline.
That's why his name could make regular appearances on the trade rumor mill. Chicago needs more assets to brighten its future, and a DeRozan deal would seemingly be the best avenue to go get them.
However, all of Chicago's offseason moves (extending Vučević, signing Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig) were made with win-now intentions. Unless the Bulls completely bottom out, it's hard to see the front office abandoning this strategy—even if that would seem to be the logical move to make.
Nikola Vučević Will Average 4-Plus Assists
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By virtue of having a superior supporting cast, Vučević was never going to match his production from his best days with the Orlando Magic.
Still, it feels like the skilled 6'10", 260-pound center has more to offer than he's shown in Chicago. His passing in particular seems like an underutilized part of his game, especially for a team that's had questions at the point guard spot ever since losing Lonzo Ball to a knee injury in Jan. 2022.
"You have Denver with (Nikola) Jokić. You have Miami with Bam (Adebayo). Teams like that that use their big man a lot as a playmaker," Vučević told reporters. "I think we have a team that can function that way with me and all the guards that we have who can play off the ball. It could make life a lot easier for a lot of our guys."
Vučević has never averaged more than 3.8 assists in his career and finished his first two full seasons in Chicago with 3.2. The Bulls should lean into that skill more. It would not only potentially benefit his teammates, it would also maximize the offensive impact of a player with defensive limitations.
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