The Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls have plenty of history and are bitter rivals. Here’s how the season series shapes up for the 2019-20 season.
Last season’s Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls were two teams with different agendas. While Detroit was trying to creep into the top half of the Eastern Conference in their first full season with Blake Griffin. Chicago went into tank mode early after an injury to budding star Lauri Markkanen ruined any chance they had to compete.
Neither team was very successful in their quest, as the Pistons ended the season at a disappointing 41-41 while the Bulls stunk it up for a 20-62 mark. The Pistons were rewarded with a first round drubbing at the hands of the Bucks, while the Bulls ended up with the seventh pick in what many thought was a top-heavy draft, not a great payoff for a long season of losing.
It’s been awhile since the Pistons and Bulls were rivals as the top teams in the East and last season didn’t do much to ignite the old flame. Detroit dominated the season series, winning all four of the match ups by an average of 13.5 points. Griffin was particularly good against the Bulls, averaging 27 points per game, including a 33-point, 12-rebound, five-assist game on Oct. 20.
Unlike some of the other bottom feeders in the east, the Pistons were able to handle a Bulls team that was mostly filled with young guys trying to make their way in the NBA. Though both teams made a few key offseason moves, next season is expected to be more of the same, as the Bulls will still be a young team looking to come up while Detroit hopes that the tweaks they made to their veteran roster are enough to propel them into the top five seeds in the East.
Both teams have reason for some optimism heading into the season and the series should be a lot tighter given that the Bulls will start out on a healthier note.