The Bulls have adopted an aggressive strategy to win right away, which made them a perfect fit for what DeMar DeRozan was looking for in free agency, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Since last season’s trade deadline, Chicago has been pushing to build a playoff-ready roster, which included pursuing DeRozan even after adding Lonzo Ball. The early results have been positive as the Bulls are the NBA’s lone 4-0 team and the only unbeaten team left in the Eastern Conference.
DeRozan’s value was on display Monday night in a gritty road victory against the Raptors. With a large second-half lead in danger of slipping away, he hit a series of important buckets to close out the game.
“That was part of the reason why I even chose to come to Chicago, everyone was eager to want to be successful, to want to win,” DeRozan said. “Everybody had that chip on their shoulder from the city, to the organization, to the players that I spoke to. Coming into this season, that was everybody’s mindset. ‘It’s all about winning now. We’re not in a development stage. We want to win now.’ That was my mindset.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Jarrett Allen looked worthy of the Cavaliers‘ $100MM investment during Monday’s win at Denver, observes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Allen put up 21 points and 16 rebounds in a virtual standoff against reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. “It’s hard to put in words, but Jarrett Allen has my full trust,” said coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “He has my full trust that what we’re doing as a team is more important than anything that could happen for him individually. And that comes from time spent last year, a lot of conversations, a lot of time over the summer.”
- Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley is already a standout in a strong rookie class, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. The third overall pick has been as good as advertised defensively while adding another perimeter threat to Cleveland’s offense. Mobley looks capable of becoming “The Guy” on a good team, which is something the Cavs had been missing, says Hollinger.
- The Bucks believe last year’s title could be the first of many, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. With Giannis Antetokounmpo in his prime and a strong supporting cast in place, Milwaukee may be the team to beat for several years. “We definitely have a lot more confidence in ourselves,” Khris Middleton said. “It’s natural, we should. We are the champs. We’ve been through every type of situation you could go through. So at the same time, you know what to expect. There’s no need to worry about failing because you know what you need to do.”
Jarrett Allen is 31 of 37 (84%) on field goals in the first four games. He is also 2nd in the league in contested shots with 52. He has been amazing.
(Also, Mobley leads the league in contested shots at 72!)
Jarrett is 3rd, my bad
They actually have a very solid core, and there’s definitely room for their younger players to grow together.
Alot of people are sleeping on what the Xavs are building, but if they play their cards right they could become a perennial playoff team with another solid offseason or two..
That’s the goal haha. I think some struggles are still going to be inevitable this season and maybe the next, but that’s just growing pains for you.
I like how the league built one way and cleveland said nah and did their own thing and it’s pretty decent, fun to watch
Last night was the best I’ve ever seen Allen play fr. That early dunk by Lauri was the game winning shot in my opinion tho. It was sorta like Tyson/Spinks. Denver didn’t wanna fight no more after that
He looked like an all-star center. It would be cool if he got the all-star nod this year since it’s in Cleveland. But as for Denver, they could not stop turning the ball over, they look very disjointed even if they are 2-1 on the season. They’ll be fine though I’m sure.
I’ve said before, I really like Jarrett Allen. After their rookie year, I thought there was an argument to be made for him slightly ahead of Bam or right next to him. I think he has more offense in him too. I thought that deal where they got him was amazing
I watched the Cavs the other night and Mobley looks awesome. Cavs could be good in a year or two
Man do I love the Cavs :)
So, no Bulls believers yet?
a wait and see approach. next 6 games are against knicks, jazz, celtics, sixers (twice) and nets. could be a 500 team after 10 games.
November as a whole will tell us a lot about the Bulls. Tough schedule.
I’m a believer in the sense I think they’re challening in that 4-9 race, which will likely be decided by close games and injuries…I also have won every bet on them so far, so theres that lol
@formerlyz
yeash the Bulls have a nice combo of athleticism and skill. Between Lavine, Derozen, Ball and Caruso they have 4 guys that can handle the ball, create shots for others, get to the rim and shoot the 3. Good defenders too. A lot of pushing the ball off of defensive rebounds. Exciting to watch.
Levine and DeRozan arent good defenders, and DeRozan doesnt shoot the 3, but ya, Ball and Caruso around Levine helps him, and then they have Derrick Jones jr and/or Troy Brown, with Patrick William’s at both the 4/3 positions, and davonte green at those 2/3 spots…they filled a lot of their weaker areas, although I still have certain questions.
Autocorrect sometimes…lol
Damn I was half a point, rebound, or assist away with winning my Mobley bet last night, but I did have Cleveland over Denver +9.5 and moneyline. I figured Kevin Love would have a good game against them, but dodnt think Jarrett Allen would get numbers, as much as potentially defending Jokic. Also thought it was a really good matchup for Michael Porter jr, but he did nothing
Really big on Mobley. He reminds me a lot of Chris Bosh, and he has some other guys in there. When his mid range and 3 point shot become more consistent, he is going to be a really, really good player
My opinion on Mobley is that he looks good but he hasn’t done anything that amazes me yet. I was very, very happy with his footwork in the preseason. He can really handle the ball and dance around more static defenders 5ft out. I do think he’s going to be a star tho. Lauri has also impressed me with his handle and agility. His shooting % suck especially considering the number of 3pt attempts. But he’s more versatile than I thought. You can tell the guards, outside of Rubio, are trying to figure out how to fit in and the appropriate time to assert themselves in the offense. With Sexton I love the easy way he allows to come to him. He knows how to use his backside to create space when an opponent is trailing him. He can score at the rim, in between and from the 3.I know ppl want him to jack up more 3s but I like the fact he’ll step in closer if the defense allows for what should be an easier shot. He needs to balance creating for others without being subconscious of ppl critiquing him for taking his own shot. He’s not a volume shooter. He shoots darn near 50% overall and it helps the team win. Not sure if the defensive lineup including three 7fters will work but I like the attempt to assert your will and play big. Let’s bullyball them little guys if possible. Size matters.
Cavs look like they’re doing what they hoped, and attitudes are positive. “Like I said”, Rubio is playing starter minutes and sometimes toys with the defense; and Okono’s PER is low, under 10; and Mobley is a forward.
Allen & Mobley are 1-2 in minutes… hopefully they can stay uninjured and unexposed along with Markannon… Great dunk vs Jokic though Jokic got even later. The Mobley 3-2 zone was not put to much use… maybe just a gadget D.
A seven-foot front line when everyone else is getting smaller!
Sexton is not pressing; I was wondering; there’s a lot of salary money at stake with varied valuations.