Last season, the Chicago Bulls surprised a lot of people. Several NBA analysts projected them to be a play-in tournament team, and up until the All-Star break, they defied expectations and were the top seed in the Eastern Conference. However, they were bitten by the injury bug, specifically with guards Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso down for extended periods.

As a result, the Bulls slipped down to the sixth seed in the East and had to face the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, where they lost in five games. But, overall, the season was fairly successful since the team finished with a 46-36 record, much better than the previous four seasons.

This year, expectations in Chicago are high for the Bulls. The floor should be winning a playoff series and maybe even a second to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. The Bulls don’t have much cap flexibility, so they must go all-in with the current roster. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine are good players and the team’s two major stars, but it will be hard for the Bulls to compete for an NBA title without a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, etc.

I have the Bulls finishing sixth in the East this season, behind the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Cleveland Cavaliers. This isn’t necessarily an indictment on the Bulls being bad, but rather the top of the conference just being better. Milwaukee, Boston, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn all have elite superstars that can win in the playoffs. Cleveland just blew the Bulls out in Chicago last week while having an elite young nucleus of players. The Bulls can win in the regular season with a healthy roster, but also last year had an abysmal record against playoff teams.

This season in the NBA should be as competitive as ever in both the Eastern and Western conferences. The West has its own crop of elite teams, the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, and Los Angeles Clippers, among others. Regardless of who ends up winning the championship, the road to get there will be intriguing with so many teams hoping for a mid-June parade and celebration.