Dust off their Bulls fan jerseys

Chicago Bulls is a reality in the NBA and the idea that they can get the title after their great season does not sound unreasonable

Much of the fans over 30 years in Latin America and the world became fond of NBA basketball thanks to the Chicago Bulls of the 90s, a decade dominated by Jordan and the Toros. Since then they have lived two decades of obscurantism except for a couple of seasons where they were moderately competitive with Derrick Rose but they could never beat Lebron James’ teams.

The series “The Last Dance” removed sensitive fibers and indelible memories in many Chicago fans and with perfect timing, the Illinois franchise has given them back the hope and courage to show off their hobby. thanks to a brilliant season that places them as leaders of the Eastern conference with practically half a tournament played and on the verge of exceeding the total number of victories they achieved last season.

What started as an unlikely streak to extend has become a reality, so much so that the bet that the Bulls are NBA champions that started the season paying 100 to 1 at the moment and only pays 20 to 1.

But what moves has Chicago made? Where do we begin to explain this change? And perhaps much of the answer lies in the change of management. In 2020 the Bulls thanked one of their legends, John Paxson, and handed basketball operations over to Artuas Karnisovas, the architect of the competitive version of the Denver Nuggets who in his first move led to Billy donovan as a coach and a year later I negotiate the arrival of Nikola Vucevic, a recruitment that although it looked solid did not dazzle anyone.

Without a doubt the most impactful move was signing a 32-year veteran who has been rejuvenated by the Chicago wind, De DeRozan is having the most efficient campaign of his career and with 3 last-second winning baskets he has become the clutch man. of the Bulls. The former Spurs player has unloaded LaVine’s offensive work and balanced the court with Vucevic. Chicago’s new trio is averaging over 61 points per game, 48% FG and a soaring 39% 3pts.

But the greatest merit of this directive and coaching team is to squeeze the best version of players like Lonzo ball Y Alex Caruso , two elements that fit perfectly as role players but that impact the game every night. These two represent the “moneyball” build of the successful Bulls model.

Now, the question that all Chicago fans are asking is whether the dream will end soon, whether this illusion will not crumble, whether their team will be able to compete with Giannis’ Bucks, Big 3 Nets or Embiid’s Sixers. It is difficult to answer those doubts but for now they have presented arguments to believe in their possibilities and for now so that all those hidden fans of the Bulls come out of the darkness, dust off their jerseys, once again show off why they began to love the NBA. Their Bulls have given them back their illusion