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2024 NBA Playoffs Winners & Losers: Former Chicago Bulls originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The 2024 NBA Playoffs are heating up, as both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals are set and will get underway this week.
The West features an intriguing matchup between two playoff underdogs. The Timberwolves upset the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in an unbelievable Game 7 that saw them come back from a 15-point deficit. And the Mavericks defeated the West’s No. 1 seeded Thunder in Game 6 at home.
In the East, everyone’s suspected favorite Boston Celtics will take on the Pacers, who have prevailed over Goliaths in the Knicks and the Bucks in the first two rounds. Both series will set the stage for this season’s NBA Finals.
The Bulls, unfortunately, missed the mark on the playoffs this season, losing to the Heat in the play-in tournament for a second consecutive season. But, we’ve seen former Bulls characters thrive and dive in the playoffs after their respective stints in Chicago.
Let’s take a look at the NBA Playoff winners and losers for former Bulls personnel.
Winners
Derrick Jones Jr.
Jones Jr. played two seasons in Chicago between 2021 and 2022, serving as a high-flying bench player who brought improved shooting and defense with him to the Bulls. He declined his player option for this season last summer, opting to sign with the Mavericks instead.
There, he’s thrived, earning a starting spot in 66 games in the regular season and playing in all 12 playoff games the Mavericks have played this season. In the playoffs, he’s shooting over 50% from the floor and 37% from beyond the arc, averaging over 10 points and a few rebounds per game.
Over the final three games of the Mavericks-Thunder series, Jones Jr. averaged 19.3 points per game, dropping a career-playoff-high 22 points in the Mavericks’ elimination game. He tied Kyrie Irving as the second and third-highest-scorer on the team behind Luka Doncic.
He’ll become an unrestricted free agent this summer, poised to earn a big payday based on the way he’s carved out a vital role on a winning team in the Mavericks. And they’re still not out of championship…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/2024-nba-playoffs-winners-losers-193224861.html
Author : NBC Sports Chicago
Publish date : 2024-05-21 19:32:24
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