(670 The Score) While the Bulls are full of hope under the direction of new coach Billy Donovan as the start of the regular season awaits next week, neutral parties and prediction models continue to have low expectations.
That includes FiveThirtyEight, which released its revamped RAPTOR projection model for the new season Thursday. FiveThirty projects the Bulls to go 25-47 in the shortened 72-game regular season and finish tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference with the Wizards.
It also gives the Bulls just a 10% chance to make the playoffs, which have a revamped format this season. The top six teams in each conference will make the playoffs. Behind them, the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th seeds will play to earn the final two playoff spots in each conference. The seventh and eighth seeds will need to win just once to do so, while the ninth and 10th seeds would need to win twice in the play-in portion to reach the final eight in each conference.
FiveThirtyEight projects the Bulls to finish better than the Pistons, Cavaliers, Knicks and Hornets in the East – and go 25-47 just like the Wizards, whom the site ranks as slightly better. The Bulls went 22-43 and finished 11th in the East last season.
The Lakers (48-24) are projected to finish with the best record in the NBA and have the best chance of winning the title (21%). The Celtics have a 15% chance to win the championship, followed by the Clippers and 76ers at 12% apiece. The Bucks check in at 10%. The Celtics and Bucks are projected to lead the East at 46-26.
