The Chicago Bulls have less margin for error if they want to fight for a place in the playoffs this year through the play-in tournament. Many fans after the All-Star Game expected to see another game from the Bulls, but the situation remains consistently bad. Despite claims by Chicago frontman DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavin that the Bulls will do whatever it takes to make it to the playoffs, right now, the situation looks to be on the brink of disaster for Reds fans. What's more, DeRozan is furious that the Chicago team can't pick up a good pace this season.
Despite the fact that the Bulls are performing poorly, the bookmaker Mosbet still regards the team as one of the contenders to get into the top 16 teams in the NBA at the end of the regular season. Let's try to analyze whether the Bulls will be able to reach the playoffs this season.
Throughout February, Billy Donovan's wards took 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings. The right to play in the play-in tournament, where the teams from 7th to 10th place will compete for 2 tickets to the playoffs, must be earned by the Bulls. It is quite possible for Chicago to do this, but now the moment has come when Billy Donovan's team needs to win on their own and wait for the misfires of direct competitors. The 10th position is occupied by the Washington Wizards, which for several weeks now has 1-2 more wins than Chicago. The ninth position is occupied by the Toronto Raptors, who maintain superiority over the Bulls by about 2-3 wins. In 8th place is the Atlanta Hawks, which has not been impressive in recent months with its game. The seventh line will probably go to either the Miami Heat or the Brooklyn Nets, and for sure these teams will not fly out of the play-in zone.
Recall that from February 8 to February 17, Chicago lost 5 fights in a row at once, and if defeats from Milwaukee and Cleveland could still be expected, then losses to such teams as Indiana, Orlando and Brooklyn , were clearly unexpected, at least for Bulls fans. After the break for the All-Star Game, Billy Donovan's team began to play a little better, outplaying their direct competitors Washington and Brooklyn. There was also a big win over Western Conference leader Denver Nuggets. However, at the same time, in the segment until mid-March, the Bulls also lost to Toronto, Finnix and Indiana.
Disappointed by this turn of events may be Bulls fans who haven't had much to celebrate in years. However, the stars of the team no longer hide their displeasure. “It's even more than disappointing to lose again. Especially when we tell ourselves before the match that we have to win this match. We have to find a way to get out of this hole and do everything possible to save this season,” DeMar DeRozan said in one of his interviews.
Surprisingly, in the remaining more than 10 fights, Chicago will play only once with their direct competitors (April 5 match with Atlanta), so the Bulls need not only win their own matches, but also monitor how playing "Washington", "Toronto" and "Atlanta".
If we consider the final 5 matches of the Bulls of the regular season, then the calendar here is quite good. On April 2, Chicago will play a match against the Memphis Grizzlies, who have already solved all their problems in the standings. On April 5, there will be a duel against Atlanta (an important face-to-face meeting). On April 6, the Bulls will face off against the Milwaukee, a team that probably won't be playing at 100% at the end of the season. April 8 will be a match against the Dallas Mavericks. Chicago's final game of the season will take place on April 9 against the Detroit Pistons, where Chicago can certainly count on winning.
Can Chicago make it to the play-in zone and subsequently make the playoffs? Considering the current Bulls roster and comparing it to their direct competitors, the trio of DeRozan, Lavin, Vucevic, complemented by Patrick Beverley and Alex Caruso, who are good on defense, looks quite powerful. Up to this point, the leaders of "Chicago" showed good games only as an exception and this is far from the rule. Therefore, if we assume that a miracle happens, and the leaders of the Bulls begin to demonstrate the game that the fans expect from them, then of course, Chicago will still take its 9th or 10th place in the standings.
As for the play-in tournament, rivals such as Washington, Atlanta or Toronto are quite capable of Chicago. It is safe to say that the Bulls are no weaker than the listed teams and in the match right through they have every chance of winning.
We believe that the Chicago Bulls will still be able to make it to the playoffs this season with great difficulty. However, it is likely that Billy Donovan's team will lose in the first round, because Chicago will have to face one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference.
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