How Many Wins This Year?

[pipfan]

Now that Josh is signed, our lineup is probably set. We'll play fast and gun. How many wins will we get?

[jnrjr79]

Assuming this current roster, 40-44 is where I'm going. Matas making a leap + Okoro adding some defense will help, I think, relative to last year.

Of course, the team is loaded with expiring salary that could be on the move, so things may change.

[ChiTownHero1992]

Barring any many changes...Between 38-43 wins, likely on the low end of that, Play-In team basically guaranteed, and likely not enough to get into the actual Playoff.

However i expect a Vuc trade or buy out at the deadline, and that could be the difference of 3-5 wins down the line.

[sco]

10 more wins if Vuc doesn't start...see I did it again. Can't seem to help myself on Vuc bashing these days. It's not pretty, but apparently, it's therapeutic.

[ChettheJet]

I want to qualify my 45-49 pick to happen if they can move Vucevic by the trade deadline, better before the season.

If you look back to how differently they played after the Lavine trade, Giddey's game opened up, Huerter played very well, Matas got more looks, Coby got more shots, Jones played very well before being injured. They went 15-5 despite Ayo being injured and Lonzo sitting out. If they can move Vuc, start Collins and play Smith off the bench I think they'll play a much faster game, with a very deep roster so when somebody off the bench shows a hot hand early he can play more on that night and that hot hand might be someone different for a few stretches.

Another thing is before last season, as always, many teams made big changes and everybody just assumed that they would win a lot more games. Those big moves don't always pay off like the pundits and fans think. Just because some team in the East made moves for big names doesn't mean they are assured of more wins.

[Stratmaster]

I come in at 30-34. It is really very difficult to gauge though. Could very well be 35-39. If they are .500 or better I will buy the beer for a Bulls party because that would be a miracle. Especially with their stated run and gun coaching strategy.

[League Circles]

I come in at 30-34. It is really very difficult to gauge though. Could very well be 35-39. If they are .500 or better I will buy the beer for a Bulls party because that would be a miracle. Especially with their stated run and gun coaching strategy.

Why do you think they'll be significantly worse than last year? Epecially since the returning group played significantly better than the team did as a whole for the season.

[jnrjr79]

I come in at 30-34. It is really very difficult to gauge though. Could very well be 35-39. If they are .500 or better I will buy the beer for a Bulls party because that would be a miracle. Especially with their stated run and gun coaching strategy.

Why do you think they'll be significantly worse than last year? Epecially since the returning group played significantly better than the team did as a whole for the season.

FWIW, the Vegas over/under is 32.5 (though I have bet the over). I know 39 wins was an over performance last season that required a hot finish, but I do tend to think the Bulls will be better than the 30-34 range.

[League Circles]

I come in at 30-34. It is really very difficult to gauge though. Could very well be 35-39. If they are .500 or better I will buy the beer for a Bulls party because that would be a miracle. Especially with their stated run and gun coaching strategy.

Why do you think they'll be significantly worse than last year? Epecially since the returning group played significantly better than the team did as a whole for the season.

FWIW, the Vegas over/under is 32.5 (though I have bet the over). I know 39 wins was an over performance last season that required a hot finish, but I do tend to think the Bulls will be better than the 30-34 range.

I don't know that 39 wins was an over performance. Or what that would even mean. If anything, the projected win total should be higher than last year when considering that the "hot finish" (which was actually just a different team performing better and playing differently IMO). Certainly not lower.

[jnrjr79]

Why do you think they'll be significantly worse than last year? Epecially since the returning group played significantly better than the team did as a whole for the season.

FWIW, the Vegas over/under is 32.5 (though I have bet the over). I know 39 wins was an over performance last season that required a hot finish, but I do tend to think the Bulls will be better than the 30-34 range.

I don't know that 39 wins was an over performance. Or what that would even mean. If anything, the projected win total should be higher than last year when considering that the "hot finish" (which was actually just a different team performing better and playing differently IMO). Certainly not lower.

Oh, sorry, I just mean they outperformed the Vegas odds last year and it required a hot streak for them to do that. They otherwise would have fallen short of Vegas odds.

But yeah, to the broader point, the post-Zach team looked better and I don't see any reason why they should fall off a cliff barring major injury issues.

[League Circles]

FWIW, the Vegas over/under is 32.5 (though I have bet the over). I know 39 wins was an over performance last season that required a hot finish, but I do tend to think the Bulls will be better than the 30-34 range.

I don't know that 39 wins was an over performance. Or what that would even mean. If anything, the projected win total should be higher than last year when considering that the "hot finish" (which was actually just a different team performing better and playing differently IMO). Certainly not lower.

Oh, sorry, I just mean they outperformed the Vegas odds last year and it required a hot streak for them to do that. They otherwise would have fallen short of Vegas odds.

But yeah, to the broader point, the post-Zach team looked better and I don't see any reason why they should fall off a cliff barring major injury issues.

I'd phrase it as "Vegas odds proved to be inaccurate" rather than Bulls outperformed Vegas odds lol.

[jnrjr79]

I don't know that 39 wins was an over performance. Or what that would even mean. If anything, the projected win total should be higher than last year when considering that the "hot finish" (which was actually just a different team performing better and playing differently IMO). Certainly not lower.

Oh, sorry, I just mean they outperformed the Vegas odds last year and it required a hot streak for them to do that. They otherwise would have fallen short of Vegas odds.

But yeah, to the broader point, the post-Zach team looked better and I don't see any reason why they should fall off a cliff barring major injury issues.

I'd phrase it as "Vegas odds proved to be inaccurate" rather than Bulls outperformed Vegas odds lol.

In some sense, I'd say they proved accurate, insofar as they did not account (presumably) for the LaVine trade that improved the team.

[meekrab]

I'm a Josh and Matas stan so I voted for the highest number that isn't literally insane.

[NZB2323]

Our over/under was 32.5 and I told my Uncle to bet the over. 33 wins is not a lot in the NBA. Some teams will miss shots against us, some teams will have injuries, some teams will be resting players, and I at least expect our offense to be good, and/or shoot a lot of 3s and some games we’ll make them.

[kodo]

Those Vegas odds are nuts considering
- Bulls have beat Vegas odds 4 of the last 5 years
- Boston might be tanking, at best without Tatum, Holiday, and Porzingis
- Indiana is without Haliburton and Turner
- Milwaukee is without Lillard

Detroit might be the 3rd best team in the EC... a 14 win team in 2024.
It's going to be easier for any EC team to win 40 wins next season not just Chicago.

And then you have Coby contract year added on?

[Stratmaster]

I come in at 30-34. It is really very difficult to gauge though. Could very well be 35-39. If they are .500 or better I will buy the beer for a Bulls party because that would be a miracle. Especially with their stated run and gun coaching strategy.

Why do you think they'll be significantly worse than last year? Epecially since the returning group played significantly better than the team did as a whole for the season.

There is less talent. They will be playing games other teams see as meaningful.

History tells us Coby will play 6 weeks of amazing basketball and be pedestrian the rest of the season. History can't tell us much of anything about Giddey in his new role. Hopefully he will be like the guy we saw the end of last season. I am very high on Matas but don't see him playing at an all-star level THIS season.

The play as fast as you can approach is generally not a winning strategy. Billy Donovan. Patrick Williams. I mention Williams because I expect they will insist on playing him meaningful minutes.

[Stratmaster]

Those Vegas odds are nuts considering
- Bulls have beat Vegas odds 4 of the last 5 years
- Boston might be tanking, at best without Tatum, Holiday, and Porzingis
- Indiana is without Haliburton and Turner
- Milwaukee is without Lillard

Detroit might be the 3rd best team in the EC... a 14 win team in 2024.
It's going to be easier for any EC team to win 40 wins next season not just Chicago.

And then you have Coby contract year added on?

Vegas pre-season win projections are worthless. I agree.

But this team does not have any proven high end talent. Winning more than 39 games would require Matas AND Giddey to perform at all-star levels. I hope that happens. But I can't predict it.

If I was picking with my heart I would pick 45 wins. My brain tells me 30-35

[drosestruts]

We are the offensive version of Orlando.

I've been saying it for a few years, but Orlando just trys and plays really hard on defense in the regular season, and it propells them to regular season success. In the playoffs they have no other gear to go to and they're perennial first found exits. Maybe Bane helps them in that department, maybe Banchero and Wagner perform better, but historically those two are ineffecienct chuckers.

The Bulls will not win due to their defense, but we will run people off the court. I see no reason for us to go away from our high octane fast paced offense, and in the regular season, we'll simply win games by other teams not wanting to play at that level, and it will lead to better regular season success. TBD how it will looks in the playoffs, but it didn't look that good vs Miami in the play-in last year.

[pipfan]

We are the offensive version of Orlando.

I've been saying it for a few years, but Orlando just trys and plays really hard on defense in the regular season, and it propells them to regular season success. In the playoffs they have no other gear to go to and they're perennial first found exits. Maybe Bane helps them in that department, maybe Banchero and Wagner perform better, but historically those two are ineffecienct chuckers.

The Bulls will not win due to their defense, but we will run people off the court. I see no reason for us to go away from our high octane fast paced offense, and in the regular season, we'll simply win games by other teams not wanting to play at that level, and it will lead to better regular season success. TBD how it will looks in the playoffs, but it didn't look that good vs Miami in the play-in last year.

Good points-I think we'll win around 40, but we'll be a Playin Loss or, at best, an easy 1st round knockout

But in the RS, we'll beat a bunch of teams with our depth and pace

[Chi town]

43 with Coby. Thanks Celtics Pacers.

34 with Coby trade. Just enough to get a pick in the 10ish range and miss top talent.