Two NBA teams from the Eastern Conference expected to be playoff and possibly even championship contenders this year. Unfortunately for them, they have not been close to that this year. These two teams are the Toronto Raptors and the Chicago Bulls.
The Raptors have a player who has arguably been a top 10 performer this season in Pascal Siakam who is averaging 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists per game, along with a former All Star Fred Vanlvleet who is still in his prime, and a young player who many believe can be a future All Star in Scottie Barnes. This team should have enough to at least have a secure playoff spot. They are just 13-17 though and have now lost five games in a row.
The Bulls are in a similar situation. They have lost four games in a row and are just 11-18 on the season. They have three players who should still be in their prime that have all made multiple All Star games in Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine. Despite having all of them, they cannot win.
One option for these two teams may be to completely blow up their rosters. This would mean trading their older veterans and keeping any young pieces that they have. If they cannot even compete for a playoff spot this year, why would they be able to compete for a championship as that is the ultimate goal.
Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bradley_Beal,Fred_VanVleet(40543944482).jpg
