The NBA KIA weekly power rankings:
3.
Chicago Bulls
Last Week: 2 ↓
Record: 12-5
Pace: 99.1 (14) OffRtg: 109.9 (7) DefRtg: 104.4 (7) NetRtg: +5.4 (5)
Zach LaVine gets
the highlight dunks, his 1.48 points per possession in transition
rank third among 88 players with at least 35 transition possessions, and his 6.2 points per game in transition
rank second to only Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Synergy tracking. But seventh on that points-per-possession list is DeMar DeRozan (1.36), who’s also averaged a career-high 3.8 transition points per game. DeRozan’s free throw rate remains high, but he hasn’t been getting to the basket as much he did in San Antonio, so continuing to supplement his half-court, iso stylings with
some easier buckets against an unset defense (fueled by the Bulls’ own defense) is important.
The Bulls suffered loss No. 5 when neither LaVine nor DeRozan could get
to the basket in the fourth quarter in Portland on Wednesday. But the last four games have been the team’s best stretch of offense (
114.8 points scored per 100 possessions) of the season. The Bulls’ new starting lineup, though neither Alex Caruso nor Tony Bradley have provided much scoring themselves, has scored
almost 125 per 100 in its 68 minutes and has been even better defensively.
The Bulls just completed a stretch of 13 straight games against teams no worse than the 9-9 Lakers. They now play three games against the Pacers, Rockets and Magic before beginning another difficult stretch with a visit from the Heat on Saturday.
Week 6: vs. IND, @ HOU, @ ORL, vs. MIA
