Bulls Hot Takes After 1st Week of 2022-23 NBA Season
It's been a strange start to the 2022-23 NBA season for the Chicago Bulls.
They've already battled the injury bug a few times and still don't seem to have a grasp on when (or if?) floor general Lonzo Ball will make it back from a pair of knee surgeries. Their explosive-on-paper offense has sputtered at times, abandoning them in their two losses.
Then again, they've already knocked off both the reigning Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, who snagged its top seed last season. That's an impressive feat for a club that previously struggled to hang with the elites, particularly with the two contests being decided by a combined 26 points.
If nothing else, the Bulls seem like a squad to watch in the East, but you came here for more of a bold proclamation, right? Let's get to it, then, with a trio of fiery hot takes about this team.
DeMar DeRozan Might Be Even Better Than Last Season
DeRozan arguably played the best basketball of his career last season, which probably shouldn't have been been possible.
He entered his age-32 campaign as a four-time All-Star whose statistical production didn't always contribute to winning as much as you'd think. Then, he pumped in a personal-best 27.9 points, posted his then-second-highest field-goal percentage ever (50.4) and made Chicago 5.1 points better per 100 possessions, per Basketball-Reference, just by hitting the hardwood.
It was eye-opening stuff—and his early work in this young season might be even better.
The numbers are still enormous (24.8 points on 51.8 percent shooting) and certain advanced metrics say this is the best he's ever been. His .196 win shares per 48 minutes and 3.5 box plus/minus are both the highest of his career, per Basketball Reference.
Patience Still Key with Patrick Williams
A full-fledged breakout from Williams might change everything for the Bulls.
Throughout the 2021-22 campaign, they tried and failed to find an impact, two-way wing. Williams, the No. 4 pick in 2020, offered missing-piece potential if he could slide into that vacancy and tap into his tantalizing upside.
Instead, his numbers are trending down, and his position with this franchise has never felt more tenuous. It's too early to say this is definitely regression, but if you want to find encouragement on his stat sheet, it simply isn't there.
The Bulls aren't trying to force it. After entrusting him with 28 minutes on opening night and 24 his next time out, they've limited him to less than 16 minutes in the three games since. It could be a while before that trend reverses, since Chicago has yet to post a positive point-differential during his floor time.
Nikola Vučević Needs More Touches
When Chicago's Big Three is healthy, two mouths are fed on offense before Vučević gets his chance to feast.
That isn't changing. When this attack is at its best, DeRozan and Zach LaVine co-pilot it with slippery shot-creation, soft shooting touch and a willingness to create for others.
Still, even if Vučević won't challenge for the team lead in field-goal attempts often, Chicago should utilize its skilled center more often. Last season, the Bulls gave him 18-plus shots 25 times. In those contests, they went 18-7. That's a .720 winning percentage, or a rate cleared only by the Phoenix Suns last season.
If Vučević gets his three-ball back (31.3 percent since the start of last season; 37.3 percent the three seasons prior), then his offensive bag ranks favorably among the Association's best bigs. He can post-up, pass and perimeter splash, and leaning heavier on those talents could be the easiest way to squeeze more out of this offense