Daily Bulls

After months of no Chicago Bulls basketball, we are about one week away from their preseason opener against the New Orleans on October 4th, 8:30 CT on TNT. Media Day marks the first time the Bulls are officially back at the United Center, and players and the front office were available to talk to the media. Here are my five takeaways from the Chicago Bulls Media Day 2022.

Bulls Front Office considered all options with Lonzo Ball

Earlier this month, Lonzo Ball returned to Chicago to figure out a plan to get back on the court with the Bulls management. Bulls Vice President Arturas Karnisovas said during his press conference that they don’t know when he will return to the court. Karnisovas explained how the Bulls gave Lonzo Ball “every opportunity to get back on the court without doing the surgery.” But the team will examine Lonzo in 4-6 weeks.

No Decision yet on starting point guard

Head coach Billy Donovan made it clear there has not been a decision on the starting guard for opening night. But Donovan and the coaching staff will have many different lineup options. The four options will be Ayo Dosunmu, Goran Dragic, Alex Caruso, and Coby White. It’s unclear who the favorite is to start, according to Billy Donovan, but there is a strong possibility the starting lineup will not be the same in the final four minutes of a close game.

Every point guard has its pros and cons. With many lineup options, the starting lineup could change every game. But the next couple of weeks will be interesting to see who earns the starting point spot. Donovan is more focused on the team identity than on who is starting.

Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan: Men on a Mission

Zach Lavine is 100% ready and added some new moves during the off-season. ” I feel really good. I feel healthy. I feel strong. My strength work and my conditioning was really good”, Lavine said to David Kaplan on Unfiltered NBC. NBA trainer Drew Hanlen explained how ” Zach Lavine is taking it to another level this season. Over the summer, Lavine was blessed to receive a max contract from the Bulls, “I was very happy to return to the Bulls.”

Something that DeRozan and Lavine will do is prove the haters wrong and be competitive in the Eastern Conference. DeRozan on the East, “I love the competitive island that the East is on. That’s what brings the best out of you when you have the best around. Put me in a room with the best it’s gonna bring the best out of me.” Lavine added to that by saying, “It’s very competitive. I’m ready for it. If we’re not competing for a championship, we’re selling ourselves short.” Lavine and DeRozan will get tested early with their season opener against the Miami Heat on October 19th.

Nikola Vucevic: “It’s about how you get back up”

Every Bulls fan knows about the struggles of Nikola Vucevic shooting the ball, but Vucevic is ready to have a good season. During his first entire season with the new-look Bulls, he had difficulty adjusting his game, Vucevic, during his press conference: “When shots didn’t start falling, I wasn’t in a rhythm, and it took me a while to get out of it. It’s not how you fall; it’s how you can come back up.” Vucevic will become a free agent after the upcoming season, and the Bulls are expected to give Vucevic an extension offer during the season.

Alex Caruso: Won’t change Jersey Number

Alex Caruso gave some thought about changing his number (6) after the recent passing of NBA legend Bill Russell. But according to Caruso, he can’t change his number because his jersey is in the top 75 for jersey sales. Caruso will be the final player in Chicago Bulls history to wear the number 6. He will revisit the decision next season.

But Caruso had some positive things to say about the 2022-23 Bulls squad, “We still really have a good team and want to compete with the best teams in the east.” Just like DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine, Caruso hears the noise about the terrible 2021-22 record against contenders and is one of the motivation factors for the Bulls in the upcoming season.

Follow us on Twitter!!!!

Check out other Posts!!