The Bulls didn’t have a great 2016/17 season, but the team did manage to grind its way to a 41-41 record, and then took a 2-0 lead in the first round over the Celtics before Rajon Rondo suffered a season-ending injury and the tide turned.
That opening-round loss was the first in a series of events that turned the Bulls from an inconsistent .500 team to a club expected to lose more games than any other NBA team in 2017/18. Rondo is gone. Dwyane Wade is gone. And most notably, Jimmy Butler is gone.
The Bulls’ package for Butler – widely panned at the time of the trade – may work out for the team in the long run, but Lauri Markkanen is a rookie, Kris Dunn is a second-year point guard coming off a poor rookie season, and Zach LaVine will be sidelined to start the season as he continues to recover from an ACL injury. The trio is unlikely to have a significant impact in 2017/18.
There are a few other interesting pieces on the Chicago roster, including newly re-signed power forwards Nikola Mirotic and Cristiano Felicio. But a starting lineup that currently features Jerian Grant, Justin Holiday, Paul Zipser, Mirotic, and Robin Lopez won’t inspire much fear in the hearts of opponents.
Oddsmakers’ expectations for the Bulls are low, with offshore betting site Bovada putting the team’s over/under at just 22 wins. We’ll bump that up by a half-game for the purposes of our poll in order to avoid a whole number.
What do you think? Are the Bulls headed for their first 60-loss season since the post-Michael Jordan years in the early 2000s, or can the club get to 23 wins even after overhauling its roster this offseason? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
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Previous over/under voting results:
Western Conference:
- Golden State Warriors: Over 67.5 (53.57%)
- Houston Rockets: Over 55.5 (65.57%)
- San Antonio Spurs: Over 54.5 (67.74%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Over 50.5 (71.77%)
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 48.5 (55.69%)
- Denver Nuggets: Under 45.5 (50.44%)
- Los Angeles Clippers: Over 43.5 (60.7%)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Over 42.5 (56.3%)
- Utah Jazz: Over 41.5 (55.94%)
- New Orleans Pelicans: Over 39.5 (65.26%)
- Memphis Grizzlies: Over 37.5 (53.43%)
- Dallas Mavericks: Under 35.5 (54.95%)
- Los Angeles Lakers: Over 33.5 (50.4%)
- Phoenix Suns: Over 28.5 (50.41%)
- Sacramento Kings: Over 27.5 (56.18%)
Eastern Conference:
- Boston Celtics: Over 55.5 (63.5%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Over 53.5 (68.82%)
- Toronto Raptors: Over 48.5 (64.21%)
- Washington Wizards: Over 47.5 (71.29%)
- Milwaukee Bucks: Over 47.5 (63.88%)
- Miami Heat: Over 43.5 (55.39%)
- Charlotte Hornets: Over 42.5 (51.07%)
- Philadelphia 76ers: Under 41.5 (53.37%)
- Detroit Pistons: Over 38.5 (51.95%)
- Orlando Magic: Under 33.5 (75.24%)
- Indiana Pacers: Under 31.5 (54.85%)
- New York Knicks: Under 30.5 (57.87%)
- Brooklyn Nets: Over 27.5 (66.33%)
- Atlanta Hawks: Over 25.5 (51.44%)
16 wins. Hopefully fewer
23
I have to say, based on voting, a lot of people think there are a lot of 50 wins teams. People are too bullish on the wins for second grade title contenders.
Two teams in the east (Clev, Bos) and four teams in the west (GS, Hou, OKC, SA)… sounds about right to me. You can thank the watered down rosters and superteams for the lack of polarity.