Bulls' Hot Start Could be Great Sign for Future Success

It's been quite a while since the Chicago Bulls started out a season with a 3-0 record, and fans will be quite happy to know when the team last accomplished this feat

After adding Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo during the offseason, the Chicago Bulls were hoping that they would make a big step forward as a team this season, and that’s exactly what they’ve done after beating the Brooklyn Nets 118-88 on Monday night.

That victory, in which Jimmy Butler led the way with 22 points in an easy win, gives the Bulls a 3-0 record in their first three games, and while it would be easy to dismiss such a small sample size as just a blip on the radar, it’s actually quite a remarkable achievement for the Bulls.

The reason that record is so notable is that it’s been 20 years since the Bulls started out with three straight victories. The last time they were 3-0 through three games in fact was the 1996-97 season, when the Bulls ended up winning 69 games and won their fifth championship with Michael Jordan as their centerpiece.

If this year’s Bulls are going to try to match what that club did, then they still have a lot of work to do. The 1996-97 Bulls won their first 12 games of the regular season, and tough matchups against teams like the Hawks, Heat, and Knicks are still looming over the next few weeks for the Bulls.

Even with that slate, there is still plenty to be optimistic about for the Bulls. Butler is averaging over 20 points a game, and fears about whether he and Wade would be able to co-exist have been greatly exaggerated thus far. Rondo is averaging 8.7 assists per game as he guides the offense, and Taj Gibson has taken to his starting power forward role well, averaging nearly 10 rebounds and 14.7 points per game.

The Bulls will next take the court on Wednesday night when they head to Boston for a rematch with the Celtics.

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