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The Chicago Bulls finished up yet another mediocre season a couple weeks ago as they lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA play-in tournament. It was a disappointing season, so it was fitting for it to end in disappointing fashion. The Bulls got out to a good start in Miami as they hit a few threes early to go up 11-6, but it was all Heat after that. Miami won the game 112-91, and they are now headed to the playoffs to take on the Boston Celtics.
After going up 11-6, the Bulls surrendered a massive run and ended up going down by 20 in the second quarter. After they went down 20, the Bulls actually did a good job of weathering the storm. Chicago fought back and made it a seven point game in the third quarter, but the Heat turned things back on and ended up winning in blowout fashion.
The Bulls finished the regular season with a 39-43 record. They did get a win against the Atlanta Hawks in their first play-in tournament game, but they once again failed to make it into the playoffs. Chicago was just one win away and a victory in Miami on Friday night would’ve sent them to the playoffs, but they couldn’t get the job done.
So, another season is in the books for the Bulls. After starting 5-14, things went pretty well, but they are still far from satisfying this hungry fan base. No one really expected this team to make it to the postseason in the early stages of the year, so making it this far was exceeding expectations, but the fan base wants more. One thing that Chicago has to do is decide whether or not they are going to re-sign their free agents this offseason. Here are two that need to stay put.
DeMar DeRozan
The Bulls need to resign DeMar DeRozan this offseason. It sounds like they want to as there are rumors that the team offered him a two-year, $40 million deal, but there are also rumors saying that DeRozan wants some more years on that contract. He is getting older and nearing the end of his career, and he wants that protection.
DeRozan is getting older, but he is still playing like he is in his prime. He had another big year for the Bulls this past season as he averaged 24 PPG, and he also played more than just about anyone else in the league. DeRozan averaged nearly 38 MPG this season, and he is 34 years old.
You aren’t going to find too many guys like DeMar DeRozan that have that kind of heart and put in that kind of effort. He wanted to play those minutes. He wanted to always be in the game, no matter what. He is a tremendous leader for the Bulls, and they need to re-sign him.
Javonte Green
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Javonte Green. Green is a little bit younger than DeRozan and he doesn’t have a ton of experience, and his journey in the pros has been a wild one so far.
Green has played for Chicago for each of the last four seasons, and he found his way into the starting lineup prior to this past season. However, he had to spend a good chunk of the year in the G League after a knee injury. Green was then signed to a 10-day contact late in the season, and he showed that he still has it. He averaged over 12 PPG during that time, and it was great to see him excelling in the pros once again. Javonte Green is guy that Chicago should re-sign.
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