Bulls set goal of playing more meaningful games this season
With a 12-20 record, the Bulls are a long way from being ready for the big time.
But considering the lack of team success during the past three seasons, the Bulls were glad to play a meaningful game on Monday in Orlando. A win would have put the Bulls in eighth place in the East, but they lost 103-95.
"I was upset," Zach LaVine said Thursday as the Bulls returned to practice at the Advocate Center. "That was a game that we needed. I was taking it serious. I think that was as upset as I've been over a game. We'll get it back."
The Bulls have shown some recent progress, going 6-6 so far in December. Orlando won 42 games and made the playoffs last season, while the Bulls won 22. So going deep into the fourth quarter with a chance to win on the road could be considered a step in the right direction.
The Magic was able to slam the door in the fourth quarter, limiting the Bulls to 14 points on 24 percent shooting.
"Our guys were focused and attentive to the standings when we played Orlando," coach Jim Boylen said. "They were talking about it. They were addressing it to each other and it was important. That was a big game to our group. And that's important to us as a franchise, to me as a head coach that we play in those meaningful games and games that matter for where you finish."
Whether the Bulls play any more meaningful games this season might depend on how they fare in the next three weeks. They'll face Milwaukee twice, Boston twice, visit Dallas and Philadelphia, host Utah and Indiana.
They have just one victory this season over a team with a winning record and that happened on Dec. 14 when they beat the Clippers without Kawhi Leonard, Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley.
But as long as a sub-. 500 record is good enough for eighth place in the East, the Bulls might continue to battle Orlando, Charlotte and others for a possible playoff spot.
Just four of the 15 players on the Bulls roster have ever been to the NBA playoffs and two of those guys (Otto Porter and Cristiano Felicio) are injured.
"I've never been in the playoffs. I don't care if we're 25 games under .500, if we're the eighth seed - shoot, I'll take it," LaVine said. "Obviously, that seventh or eighth spot for the East has always been around .500 or underneath by a couple games. We know what the threshold is and we have to try to get to it."
LaVine had a rough shooting night in Orlando, but has been playing better. This month, he's averaged 26.1 points and 5.3 rebounds - closer to the all-star level that was forecast for his sixth NBA season.
"I think I started a little slower this year. We had a new team, a new offense," LaVine said. "I was a little upset with how I was playing. I think I picked it up a little bit.
"I know I'm an all-star caliber player. To verify, you have to win games in this league. You have to be averaging around 30 points a game or win games to solidify yourself. I understand it. I'm trying to win games. When you do that, everything takes care of itself."
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls