Can I be a casual Bulls fan?

With the 2025-2026 NBA season underway, it is time to start writing about my beloved Chicago Bulls. In the past, I have described myself as a passionate, die-hard fan of the team. It was a true statement then, when I would write my little rants, but this season I’ve found myself asking, “Am I still that kind of fan? Can I be just a casual Bulls fan?” My wife says no. I think I can be. With that being said, by the end of this post we will find out if I can be just a “casual” fan, or if I am destined to be a disappointed die-hard fan for the rest of my life.

“I’ve given enough chances”

This is what I’ve been saying to myself whenever I broach the “casual fan” topic. I’ve been a fan my whole life, however, for over a decade now we have been waiting (and waiting, and waiting, and waiting….etc.) for the Bulls to properly rebuild into a good, contending team. Some years have been a waste, some have had potential but ultimately end with an injury plagued team that leads to nowhere (we will touch on this later). Currently, just from what I have personally seen recently, this season will likely be labeled a wasted year overall. That’s just my opinion, I could be wrong. Only time will tell. As I write this, the Bulls are 1-0 after defeating the Detroit Pistons in the season opener. They’re off to a good start, but it typically doesn’t last (I hope it does).

I wanted to review the current roster and update my readers (as well as myself) on the changes that have been made to the team. Who is new, who is still on the team, and who will be the next “star” in the windy city. As Tim Sinclair (the Bulls announcer for home games) says: And now…the starting lineup for your Chicago Bulls! (This is the whole roster, though).

As you can see, there are many new faces. If you recall any of my Bulls related posts from last year, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan were both traded, along with Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball. Those were four core players who were important to the team. Nikola Vucevic is still on the team and still standing at the top of the three point line for some reason. I really can’t stand when he does that, but he still manages to get himself a double-double most nights, so I guess I can’t complain too much. It’s just…he’s so big! He’s so big, so why isn’t he down in the paint constantly. He can score on a lot of people in this league, he is a tough guys, he’s strong, and he’s skilled. This is why it upsets me so much when he is constantly shooting three’s, because I believe he would do so much better down low. 

Coby White is still on the team too. I am excited to see what he does this season. He is one player I’ve noticed who visibly gets better every season. Patrick Williams is also still on the team. I don’t have much to say about him. I don’t expect much from him. Josh Giddey joined the Bulls last season and has been doing well so far. Lastly, we have our sophomore, Matas Buzelis, who has been incredible since he was drafted last season. He put on a show against Detroit in the season opener, and I think he is going to be a rising star, not only for the Bulls, but for the entire league. There are other players on the team too, obviously, who will have an impact, but for the sake of time I didn’t want to go through the entire roster. 

The leaders have no idea what they are doing

I’ve written about the ownership and management a lot. I still don’t believe they know what they are doing. I think they are just throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. This team they’ve assembled is not going to go far, and if they do I will be the first to admit I was wrong. I’ve seen better teams put together that still didn’t even make the playoffs, so I find it very hard to convince myself this current roster can do that. From the top down it’s complete incompetence. Starting with Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner. I’ve spoken about him a ton on here, so I will just say this: he only cares about money, he doesn’t care about the product on the floor, and he doesn’t care about the fans because he knows he can throw some nostalgic BS out there and everyone will eat it up. He coasts on the 90’s Bulls team with Michael Jordan and the Derrick Rose era. Jerry Reinsdorf has been thriving on the Derrick Rose love. So much so that he has split Rose’s jersey retirement into, like, five separate games over the last couple of years. It’s insane! Although, credit where it’s due, he is very smart as a business man. He wants more money and he knows how to get it, which is probably why he is a billionaire and I am not. 

Now, let’s talk about Arturas Karnisovas, the current Executive VP of Basketball Operations. I’ve had a change of heart in regards to AK. I believe he truly wants to win. I think he cares about the product on the floor and he wants to give the fans a team to be proud of. However, I do not think he is the guy to make the changes necessary for the team to improve. I don’t think he’s smart enough, I don’t think he is motivated enough. I don’t think he knows how to put together a winning team and create the kind of culture needed to bring success to the Bulls. Again, I could be wrong and this current team could go far (I doubt it), and I will admit I am wrong, but this organization has given me no reason to believe they are capable of building a solid team. They have drained me off all my hope. 

This organization is full of “What-if’s”

“What if Derrick Rose never got hurt?” 

“What if Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball stayed healthy? We were first in the Eastern Conference when they were!”

“What if we never traded Lauri Markennan?”

There are so many “what-if’s” when it comes to this team I love. It’s painful to think about sometimes, but it’s part of the Bulls history. If DRose never got hurt maybe they could have won the championship that season. If Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball stayed healthy, maybe they could have helped the Bulls make a deep playoff run. They were in first place in the EC that season. If the Bulls didn’t trade Lauri Markennan, maybe he would have turned into an All-Star player for us. I don’t actually believe that one, but it’s a possibility. The Bulls have been horrible at developing young talent, so Lauri is kind of lucky he got traded. The injuries that have plagued this organization over the years have brought so much pain. Not only to the players, but to the fans as well. We hate seeing our guys get hurt. We can’t stand when they are out for long periods of time due to serious injuries. It’s not the players fault, it’s nobody’s fault, really. Things happen, but it sucks when it does. There were so many chances for the Bulls to be a legitimate threat in the NBA, and every time those chances were taken from all of us. It’s depressing.

Looking to the future

With the first game of the 2025-2026 season out of the way, I think it is safe for me to give my prediction. I believe this will be the same old Bulls. They come out hot the first few games, us fans get excited, and then they cool off and give us a mediocre season. Maybe they make the play-in tournament, but ultimately will lose and not make the playoffs. They will give us close and entertaining games. Sometimes they will win, most times they will lose. It’s the same story every year, and I will not get excited until they give me something to actually be excited about. I’ve given this team too much over the years. I’ve given my time, my money, my hope, my passion. It’s exhausting, especially when it feels like the organization doesn’t give a crap. That is how I think this season will go. 

Can I be a casual fan?

Would a casual fan take the time to write all of this? NO! I don’t think I could ever be a casual fan. I love the Bulls too much, even when they hurt me over and over again. I have been there for this team through thick and thin, and I will continue to be there for them for as long as I live!

(My wife was right. What else is new?)