Take a quick swim in the offshore gambling waters, and you’ll find the Bulls bobbing around at an expected 30 or so victories this season. Over a planned 72 games — let’s hope, right? — that probably would sink their hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Many, if not most, sites list the Bulls with the 11th-most victories in the 15-team Eastern Conference. The top six seeds will make the playoffs, with the seventh through 10th seeds each facing a play-in game for one of the remaining two spots.
But we saw some encouraging things from new coach Billy Donovan’s squad during a blink-and-it-was-over preseason. Zach LaVine looked ready to roll. Coby White looked comfortable (here and there) involving others. Otto Porter Jr. appeared to be standing on two feet, for whatever that’s worth. And rookie Patrick Williams, well, that dude has some game.
In this week’s “Polling Place” — your weekly home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter — we asked respondents to play the whole thing out.
“The Bulls look good so far,” @jhonnyboy0123 commented. “They aren’t a threat to get in the conference finals, but they’re on their way.”
Conference finals? Yeah, no. On to the polls:
Poll No. 1: Assuming the Bulls get their 72-game regular season in — or close — where will they end up?
Time again for our weekly @suntimes "Polling Place" questions. Let us hear from you! Selected comments will appear in Saturday's paper.
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) December 17, 2020
Q1: Assuming the Bulls get their 72-game regular season in — or close — where will they end up?
Upshot: “Definite potential for the playoffs,” @lakebyrd wrote, apparently not going out on a ledge at all, considering an overwhelming majority of respondents have the Bulls at least getting in on the play-in action. OK, then, let’s agree that’s where the bar is set.
Poll No. 2: Will LeBron James and the Lakers repeat as NBA champs?
Q2: Will LeBron James and the Lakers repeat as NBA champs?
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) December 17, 2020
Upshot: Another Lakers coronation would be — let’s face it — annoying, anticlimactic and roughly as exciting as watching a CEO deposit his year-end bonus check. Bah! Humbug! Let’s get some new blood at the top, please.
Poll No. 3: If not the Lakers, then who’s got next?
Q3: If not the Lakers, then who's got next?
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) December 17, 2020
Upshot: Will 2021 be the year the Bucks manage to avoid spilling their Spotted Cow down their legs? Respondents have a good bit of faith. Or maybe the Clips will raise a banner of their own inside Staples Center. We know this: Kevin Durant in Brooklyn is must-watch stuff from the jump. It all starts Tuesday.
