The Chicago Bulls end their regular season April 10 in Minnesota before returning to the playoffs for the first time in seven years.
Most are expecting a short run based on the Bulls’ inability to beat elite teams, and then it’s on to 2023. Executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas and general manager Marc Eversley will soon be tasked with re-signing Zach LaVine, readying for the NBA draft and making the necessary offseason additions to get the Bulls to the next level.
But as they head into the final week of a grueling 82-game schedule, it’s time to give thanks for what this Bulls team has given us during a winter in which everyone needed a little escape from the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and other issues that cloud our minds daily.
The struggles since the All-Star break have taken a bit of the shine off the season, but they can’t erase the moments that reminded us why we love the game.
The obvious highlights were the back-to-back buzzer-beaters by DeMar DeRozan on New Year’s Eve in Indiana and New Year’s Day in Washington, the breakout performance by rookie Ayo Dosunmu in the 128-114 comeback win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden, LaVine’s return from his knee injury in Oklahoma City and DeRozan dropping 50 points on the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night at the United Center.
But one small moment exemplified the joy of watching the 2021-22 Bulls. It happened during the third quarter of a win over the Lakers on Dec. 20 at the UC, when Bulls guard Alex Caruso stole the ball from former teammate and mentor, Rajon Rondo.
The two wrestled for the ball on the floor like a couple of sixth graders on a playground, smiling at each other as they tangled for possession. It was a relatively meaningless play in a game that would be long forgotten by the end of the season but one that showed two competitors and friends doing whatever it takes to come out on top.
Caruso became an instant hit with Bulls fans with a style of play that resonated in a city that always has appreciated sound defense, whether it was displayed by Dick Butkus at Wrigley Field or Norm Van Lier at the old Chicago Stadium. Dosunmu also became a fan favorite for being one of our own and climbing his way up the ladder from Morgan Park to Illinois to the Bulls.
And LaVine was LaVine, dependable as ever despite an early-season thumb injury and then a lingering left knee issue, willing to cede his role as top dog during closing time to let DeRozan do his thing.
And that’s exactly what DeRozan did, time and again, making fans remember what it was like to watch the brilliance of Michael Jordan on a nightly basis. Jordan was such an exceptional athlete with so many heroic moments, we took for granted how often he would come through in the clutch. DeRozan grew on us from Day One.
Despite coming to Chicago as a 12-year veteran with four All-Star games under his belt, DeRozan’s greatness was something of a surprise. His first nine seasons were played in Toronto, where the Raptors were seldom featured on national telecasts. He was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs in 2018 and watched his former team win a championship without him. He averaged more than 23 points the last two seasons with the Spurs, but no one was paying attention to sub-.500 teams.
The sign-and-trade deal with the Bulls was greeted with either a shrug or a smirk. The Bulls had ditched their rebuild to build around DeMar DeRozan?
It didn’t take long for DeRozan to prove the meaningless of insta-critics on Twitter and NBA blogs. In the fourth game of the season, the Bulls nearly blew a 20-point lead in the Raptors before DeRozan rescued them down the stretch, scoring eight of his 26 points in the final 4½ minutes of a 111-108 win that left them 4-0 for the first time since 1997-98.
“You live for those moments, honestly,” DeRozan said. “I get up for those moments. I love them, since I was a kid, just having that imagination, hitting big shots in a dark room. You kind of feed into that when 20,00 fans are out there watching.”
That was the start of a series of clutch performances that earned DeRozan the nickname “King of the Fourth.”
“He put us on his back pretty much and carried the fourth quarter out for us and got us a win, essentially,” guard Lonzo Ball said. “We have 100% trust in him. We’re very comfortable with him when he has the ball. We know he’s going to make the right play and take us to the promised land.”
Whether the Bulls will reach the promised land of the NBA Finals this season is anyone’s guess. With Ball’s playoff status still up in the air as he rehabs from January’s arthroscopic knee surgery and the Bulls’ seasonlong struggles against the top teams, few outside their locker room are counting on an extended playoff run.
Maybe this isn’t going to be the Bulls’ year. But think back to where they were a year ago and all the exquisite moments we’ve witnessed since.
Too often we judge a team by its ending, forgetting the enjoyment of watching how the journey unfolded.
So take a second before the playoffs begin and smell the roses, Bulls fans.
It has been quite a ride, no matter how it ends.
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