How have the Bulls’ offseason additions changed the East for the Nets?

On Wednesday night, the Brooklyn Nets will take on Chicago for the third time this year. Those two games happened on Nov. 4 and Dec. 8, with both contests being losses for Brooklyn. The Bulls are currently in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 26-11 record and is a completely different team than it was last season due to a few key acquisitions during the offseason.

Before the start of the 2021-22 season, the Nets and Bucks were receiving more attention than Chicago, but the Bulls have proven themselves as a true contender. Why? Namely because of DeMar DeRozan, but also because of Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.

Last year, Chicago finished 31-41, while Brooklyn finished 48-24. The Bulls have made a big jump in a short period. The Nets were picked as the preseason title favorites, but the road for Brooklyn isn’t going to be an easy one with Chicago in the way.

Right now, the outlook isn’t looking good for the Nets, although Kyrie Irving is back with the team. Due to his part-time status, he’ll be allowed to play at United Center, but Brooklyn’s lost five of its last seven games. Wednesday’s matchup will prove if the Nets can beat the Bulls with Irving.

Although if DeRozan has anything to say about it, Chicago will knock Brooklyn off once again.

The Brooklyn Nets are second in the East, behind the Chicago Bulls.

Before losing to the Mavericks on Sunday, the Bulls had a nine-game win streak.

DeRozan leads Chicago with 26.2 points per game (for reference, Durant’s is 29.8). During December, the 32-year-old had a spectacular month.

Arguably the biggest offseason move in the NBA was the Bulls acquiring DeRozan from the Spurs in a sign-and-trade agreement. But that’s not the only major move that Chicago executed.

The Bulls signed Ball to a four-year, $85 million deal during free agency. Shortly after, Caruso joined Ball in Chicago when he signed a four-year, $37 million contract. Caruso won a title with the Lakers in 2020 but was lowballed by Los Angeles, which is what led him to Chicago.

That duo has been key for the Bulls on both ends of the floor, with Ball being first on the team in assists per game (5.1), second in rebounds (5.5), and second in steals (1.9). Caruso built his reputation on defense with the Lakers, and to no surprise, he leads the team in steals (2).

For a team that’s currently in a slump, Chicago’s not the squad that Brooklyn wants to face. However, the game presents a huge opportunity for the Nets to prove themselves against playoff-level teams.

The East is still up for grabs, with the Heat, Bucks, and Sixers rounding out the top-five. Brooklyn needs to take it one game at a time, and for the first time this season, we’ll get to see Irving play against the surging Bulls. Will he be enough to prevent the Nets from going 0-3 against the top team in the conference?

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