While the first half of the season brought much less success than anticipated, there are still a few bright spots worthy of recognition. Sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference and still below .500 nearing 50 games, Chicago will need improvements in nearly every facet to reverse their fortune in the second half of the season. Slightly past the midpoint, let's look back on the first half and pass out hardware to the most productive Bulls during the first 41 games.
Defensive Player Of The Year
While the overall defense in Chicago has been lackluster at times and is most of the reason the Bulls find themselves in the bottom portion of the standings, there have been a few standouts on that side of the floor.
Recipient: Alex Caruso
Firmly planted in the entire NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award race, this was an easy selection for a team otherwise filled with below-average defenders. Caruso's first-half numbers were similar to last year's DPOY winner Marcus Smart and might be even more impressive. When on the floor, the Bulls rank in the top four league-wide in defensive rating and fall to the bottom four without him. He's also the top-ranked guard in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus and is the top-ranked player in 538's Defensive Raptor Ratings in the entire league.
Honorable Mention: Patrick Williams
Ranking top-five in the NBA in BBall-Index's Wing-Stopper metric, Williams has quietly been an elite on-ball defender and often draws the opposition's best player. His defensive rebounding numbers have increased by over double since the season's first month.
Most Improved Player
For the purpose of this award's meaning, the recipient is the player who's improved most since the expectation for him coming into the season, in comparison to where he's at after the midway point.
Recipient: Nikola Vucevic
During the first full month of the 2022-23' campaign, Vucevic averaged 14 points, ten rebounds, and three assists per game. In January, he's boosted those numbers to over 20 points, 13.4 rebounds, and nearly five assists per contest. Amid his first-month struggles, he also shot 50% from the field and only 33% from three-point range. In the new year, his shooting percentages sit at a blistering 57% from the field and over 40% from deep, a 7% increase in each category and nearing the best rates on the roster. He's also top-four in the NBA in double-doubles after only recording nine in the first portion of the year, including ripping off 11-straight in the last several weeks.
Honorable Mention: Derrick Jones Jr.
D.J.J. is the only other Bull who's surpassed the expectations set forth heading into this season. While he has not flattered with his play, not moving in reverse, as every other Bull has, is sealing him in this spot. With Javonte Green sidelined for chunks of the first half this year, Jones Jr. has had to step in and has improved his three-point shooting, defense, and points per game in the process. His defensive versatility has also given head coach Billy Donovan the ability to play 'small-ball' with him at the center.
Sixth Man Of The Year
The impact of the bench this season was crucial as part of a second unit that kept the Bulls afloat through Zach Lavine and Nikola Vucevic's early season struggles.
Recipient: Coby White
Most of the Bulls' bench has been very sporadic throughout the season, and battled injuries constantly. While White's numbers have dropped since last year, he's simply a different player now. Meant as a bench spark and three-point specialist, he averages the second most threes made per contest to Zach Lavine, and has seven games of 14 or more points off of the bench. He's also steadily improved his defensive presence and facilitating ability, ranking fourth in steals and has among the best assist-to-turnover ratios on the roster.
Honorable Mention: Goran Dragic
Dragic has been a great addition to the bench scoring effort. Coming out of the gate hot, he made three or more threes in four of the first 11 games of the year and was the only source of outside shooting during that time. His veteranship and mentality of unity has also matured some of the younger members of the team.
Most Valuable Player
Not leaving much to discussion, the Bulls' first half MVP has dominated in the Windy City since signing with the team a season ago, catapulting expectations and creating urgency for a win-now mentality.
Recipient: DeMar DeRozan
The easiest of the awards on this list, having nearly winning the entire league's MVP honor last season, DeMar DeRozan picked up right where he left off again this year. Leading the NBA in clutch time scoring, fourth quarter scoring, alongside leading the Bulls in points, assists, and minutes, DeRozan has been nothing short of spectacular. Expecting a max-contract this summer, a replication of his first half again in the latter half would guarantee his lucrative payday. He will also likely be the lone representative from Chicago in this year's All-Star game.
Honorable Mention: Nikola Vucevic
If DeRozan had been cruising along with an average season, Vucevic would be Chicago's first half MVP. His drastically improved play since filtering the offense through him has won several games for the Bulls, and his clutch play combined with control of the boards has been underrated leading into the halfway mark. Among the tops among centers in rebounds, three-point shooting, and double doubles, he's returned to one of the NBA's top stretch bigs.
While there's not many positives to pull from the first half of the 2022-23' season, these leaders can help right the ship in the Windy City. With the continued play from these nominees and a supporting cast that continues to improve with time, Chicago could be primed for a postseason push. 11-5 in their last 16 with a healthy roster, the Bulls have the roadmap to the playoffs laid out before them in the coming weeks.
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