Let the rebuild begin.
The online sports betting site BetOnline released their win projections for NBA teams in the upcoming 2017-18 season. For those Bulls fans not looking forward to the first stage of the rebuild, you might want to look away now.
The Bulls' over/under for wins next season is 29.5. For some context, that would be 11.5 fewer wins than their 41-41 campaign that ended with the East's 8th seed and a first round playoff exit. Only the Brooklyn Nets (21.5) and Phoenix Suns (25.5) are projected to win fewer games than Chicago.
Assuming that Gar Forman and John Paxson are serious about this rebuild and are looking for a high lottery pick next season, this is actually good news. There will be plenty of bad teams - especially in the East - next season. If the Bulls manage to finish with the third worst record and third most ping pong balls for the #1 pick in 2018, that's a win.
The other objective for next season (other than losing lots of games) is developing the young talent on the roster. That includes newcomers from the Jimmy Butler trade Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine. Paired with returning youngsters like Denzel Valentine, Cameron Payne, Jerian Grant, Cristiano Felicio and Paul Zipser, head coach Fred Hoiberg will have a tough time squeezing 30+ wins out of that crew. But don't tell that to the newly re-signed center Felicio.
How good is "pretty good"? More than 29 wins? Vegas doesn't think so. But for the first year of a rebuild, that's exactly as it should be.
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