The Chicago Bulls are back, but what should fans realistically expect this season?
The short answer: patience. This is not a 50-win team. It is not a 40-win team. It may not even be a play-in team. And that is perfectly fine. The expectation this season should be a low-win year with a clear emphasis on developing the young talent on the roster. Along the way, expect some roster turnover as well. Players who do not fit the new regime, align with the team's style of play or buy into the culture being built will likely find themselves on the move.
That culture starts at the top, and Bryson Graham did not attempt to sugarcoat the reality at Bulls media day.
"We are rebuilding. I know I've said that," Graham said. "We're at the ground floor. We're building the foundation for this organization and what it's going to look like moving forward. Although I say that, I get excited because we get to build this and we get to do it together. Just because the word rebuild is out there doesn't mean this can't be fun; this can't be exciting."
That kind of honesty is refreshing. Graham is not hiding from the rebuild or giving fans false hope. He understands exactly what it takes to build a championship-caliber organization, and he is approaching it the right way with transparency, intentionality, and a long-term vision.
Head coach Tiago Splitter struck a similar tone. "Of course, we want to win every game; we want to compete every night," Splitter said. "But we can't forget how those guys are developing, how our identity, culture, and standards are developing."
Seeing the head coach and front office aligned on the same page is one of the most encouraging signs of this new era. Too often in Chicago's recent history, there was a disconnect between what the organization said and what it actually did. That era appears to be over.
The wins may not come immediately. The growing pains will be real. But for the first time in years, the Bulls have a coherent plan, the right people in place to execute it, and a roster filled with young players worth watching. For Bulls fans who have endured years of mediocrity, that alone is worth getting excited about.
The rebuild is here. And if Graham and Splitter have anything to say about it, the best days in Chicago are still ahead.
