Welcome to the Bulls Podcast, coming to you from BullsPodcast.com. This is where we’ll be bringing you the latest news, reviews, rants, rumors and opinions on the players, coaches and front office of the Chicago Bulls.
We’ve got a lot in store for you this episode. Including:
Who leads the team for NBA award consideration this year?
Wyse lays down “The BET” and will be back to Vegas to collect!
Listeners iTunes Reviews
What do the CAVS fans think of the young Bulls? You may be surprised!
More trades to think about with the ESPN Trade Machine
Who leads the team for NBA award considerations this year?
Reading Hoops Habit’s Latest projections, they indicate who on the Bulls would be most likely to receive one of the coveted NBA awards. This is very early in the season, but let’s explore who would be in consideration for the various awards if the circumstances were right.
https://hoopshabit.com/2018/09/02/chicago-bulls-best-candidates-for-2018-19-nba-awards/
Rookie of The Year: Wendell Carter Jr.
The Bulls’ best rookie is clearly Carter, but the chances of him winning the Rookie of the Year award are probably not all that great as he may be coming off the bench for a good portion of the season.
Most Improved Player: Zach LaVine, Jabari Parker
There a few players on the Bulls’ roster who could qualify for the MIP on the team. Kris Dunn took a huge step following an underwhelming rookie season in the Twin Cities. Bobby Portis turned in a pretty solid season (more on that in a bit). Lauri Markkanen, put together a solid rookie season as well and proved that he is more than just a shooter.
As impressive as this trio was, the two players that will be discussed are Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker. LaVine played in just 24 games last season following an ACL injury that kept on the shelf for nearly a year.
While both players have proven to be respectable scorers, neither of them is known for playing defense at a halfway decent level. If either of them shows noticeable improvement in this area next season, they would have to be the favorite to win the award as far as this Bulls roster is concerned.
Sixth Man of the Year: Bobby Portis
Bobby Portis’ 2017-18 season didn’t exactly begin on the highest of notes. In fact, he got into an altercation with former teammate Nikola Mirotic. The result was Mirotic missed 23 games with a concussion and multiple facial fractures while Portis was handed an eight-game suspension.
This incident could have been the beginning of the end for Portis, but he bounced back nicely, to say the least. He posted career highs in nearly every statistical category, and he extended his perimeter game to the 3-point line, knocking down 35.9 percent of his attempts.
In light of being one of the most consistent performers off the bench last season, it should come as no surprise that Portis would get the most consideration of any player on the roster. In addition to that, Portis was only one of three players to post 21 points, 10 rebounds and 1.5 3-pointers per contest on a 36-minute scale.
The other two players were Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins.
Last season’s winner, Lou Williams, put up 22.6 points and 5.3 assists per contest in 60 appearances off the bench for the Los Angeles Clippers. Needless to say, those numbers are a bit beyond Portis’ range for the time being.
Even though he won’t win the league award, he should receive more consideration than he did a year ago.
Defensive Player of the Year: Kris Dunn
After being taken with the No. 5 overall pick two years ago, Dunn didn’t have a season to remember during his rookie campaign with the Minnesota Timberwolves. His averages of 3.8 points, 2.4 assists and 2.
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