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DeMar DeRozan, Bulls' Play-In Loss to Heat Has NBA Fans Calling for Team to Rebuild

Andrew Peters

The Chicago Bulls' season is over after a 112-91 loss to the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament Friday night.

Things looked promising for the Bulls after a dominant win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, but they didn't have enough to beat Miami despite the Heat being without star Jimmy Butler.

After the loss and a second straight season missing the playoffs, fans called for Chicago to start from scratch and begin a rebuild:

In the last nine seasons, the Bulls have made the playoffs just twice, and they haven't been to the conference finals in over a decade. It's clear Chicago needs a change, and a rebuild could be the right move.

That might mean parting with stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine to get some younger talent, but the Bulls could also try to build around the duo through the draft and other trades. Chicago will have a pair of first-round picks in this year's draft as it owns one of the Portland Trailblazers' picks from a previous trade.

Another question the Bulls will have to answer is whether head coach Billy Donovan is the right fit moving forward. Donovan has led Chicago since the 2020-21 season and has just one playoff appearance in that time.

Some fans believe it's time to part ways with Donovan, but Chicago's front office might elect to give him another season and a chance to improve.

   

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