2025-26 Bulls Hot takes/Predictions [Season Opener edition]

[sco]

Mine:

NEVER RELY ON PRE-SEASON - tells self.

Okoro will be our highest +- player

Noa will usurp Pat 100% post ASB

Jones will get 25+ MPG

Ayo will get more MPG than Huerter this season

[DuckIII]

This is probably not a hot take on our board but would be in general NBA discussions: Matas will be considered a rising franchise player by February. Not a prospective franchise guy, but a can't miss type.

Its kind of hard to even come up with too many ideas for hot takes. Our team looks pretty predictable other than guys like Matas and Essengue. I guess Pat could still be considered a wildcard, but I don't really calculate him in anything anymore until proven otherwise and certainly won't predict it.

Here's one that I consider possible: Ayo surpasses Coby as the preferred player for the Bulls going forward.

A huge reversal by Giddey I suppose is a somewhat plausible hot take on paper, though I don't think the past evidence supports it as anything but a remote possibility.

Pretty tough task with this group.

[DuckIII]

we look back on the Okoro trade and go "hum....that was pretty smart"

yeah I don't get the negative reaction at all. Lonzo was done for us. we could never rely on him anymore. And his prime is gone. We traded for a marginalized young defensive hound who was improving his 3pt shot. It's like resetting the lonzo/caruso clock. I don't expect any type of star breakout but every team needs a couple of players like this if they hope to play winning basketball.

At the risk of distracting from the thread, I'm more with you and kulaz on this one, but not all the way, I supported and still support that trade, but I still would have preferred a different approach.

Lonzo's deal is ridiculously valuable if he looks like his old self. Yes, NBA teams will still be concerned with his injury history even if he's playing well but at that low cost contending teams would likely offer more than Okoro down the road. Including draft assets.

Of course that is a gamble play. Zo's value may end up nil. I think Okoro was an excellent bargain add and think he's exactly the type of role player we need to fit into this new style of which I am a big proponent.

I'm okay with the deal. But in our situation, still operating with limited assets due to AK's prior foolishness, I would have preferred the gamble play. Big fan of Okoro though.

[MrSparkle]

Hot takes - Vuc won't start at C and Huerter will be the 11th and final rotation player to start the season (assuming everyone is healthy and not garbage time unit).

If this were to happen, I’d bet a 100 choco tacos on Bulls winning over 41 games.

[MrSparkle]

My prediction involves Billy’s reg. season rotations. I think he’s gonna tinker a lot and lose games (specifically 1st and 4th quarters) due to it. He’s gonna insist on starting Vuc, but combined with Giddey (and eventually Coby), that group is going to be a lay-up drill. No different than the prior 3Y.

Icing Pat is a step in the right direction (along with Terry and Phillips). Maybe Huerter too. Problem is they need modest trade value.

Otherwise, Matas/Noa/Okoro/Ayo ought to be a fun defensive group if they ever make it to sharing the floor for extended time. Terry and Phillips fit that idea, but their offensive skillsets seem too far below par.

[Hangtime84]

Okoro will look like a keeper.

Pat will be swapped with another disappointing starter and play better there.

Julian will improve.

Matas will get a lot of opportunities to be a consistent contributor offensively.

[burlydee]

Giddey makes the all star team.

Over the last 15 games he averaged a 20pt triple double. Over his past 25 he was 20, 10, 8.

No Tatum, no Halliburton, Herro injured, Garland injured, Embiid and George injured. If the Bulls are in the top 8 come the ASG, I could see his numbers getting him over the hump.

[ghostinthepost1]

Bulls win 50+ games this year.

The East is going to be worse this year than a lot of people realize.
Giddey, Matas, and Coby all take leaps this year. I'm willing to bet 2 of them make the all-star game.
Ayo, Tre, Pat, Okoro, Huerter, Smith, and Collins are (slightly) above average NBA players and give us one of the deeper teams.
We're going to flip some of our expiring contracts (Vuc, Carter, etc) in a win-now-ish move.

[PaKii94]

Bump for the season opener. Any fresh hot takes after seeing preseason?

For me matas looks better than I expected. Happy to see ayo excelling, was expecting that. Okoro is underperforming expectations. Also the Coby injury

[Avery W]

Giddey ties or breaks the franchise record for triple doubles and is an all star.

The Bulls regularly play 10-11+ deep (by design, not in garbage time).

Matas finishes the season as a top 3 scorer on the team, and closer to 2nd than 4th.

Tre Jones has career high steals and 3PM/game. PWill has career high points, stocks, and 3PM/game.

Matas and Giddey are both top 6 in MIP voting, and at least 1 other Bull gets a vote too.