National Basketball Association

The Chicago Bulls are atop the Eastern Conference thanks to improvements across the board

Updated Nov. 11, 2021 7:20 p.m. ET

Don't look now, but the Chicago Bulls are making a statement that they could be one of the Eastern Conference's elite teams this season.

At 8-3, the Bulls are tied with the Washington Wizards for first place in the East, and there are signs that this is not merely a hot start but a legitimate leap being made by a team that finished 31-41 a season ago.

After signing Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan in free agency this past offseason, the Bulls have seen all three make immediate impacts on both sides of the floor.

Let's start with their offense. Through their first 11 games, the Bulls have a turnover percentage of 11.3% — best in the NBA — while committing a league-low 12.4 turnovers per game.

That is a marked improvement from last season's 13.6% turnover percentage and 15.1 turnovers per game, which were the NBA's fourth-most in both categories.

The Bulls are also getting to the free-throw line 21.2 times per game this season, good for eighth in the NBA, while converting a league-best 85.8%.

The offense is buoyed by Zach LaVine (25.9 PPG) and DeRozan (26 PPG), currently the highest-scoring duo in the NBA, and Ball's career-high 3-point percentage: 44.7.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Bulls have a 104.3 defensive rating, which currently ranks eighth in the NBA, whereas last season, their 112 defensive rating was 11th.

The defense has been even better in the fourth quarter this season, posting a 97.1 defensive rating in the final quarter of games. This has been where Caruso has proven to be the most valuable, leading the NBA with 2.6 steals per game.

All of this has helped lead to a +7.4 net rating for the Bulls, fourth in the NBA.

Best of all, there is reason to believe this is sustainable for the Bulls, with the return of Coby White imminent.

The Bulls are averaging just 25.3 bench points per game this season, which is 28th in the NBA.

White, who averaged 15.1 PPG while shooting 35.9% from 3-point range last season, figures to slide in and immediately offer scoring punch from the bench once he has fully recovered from offseason shoulder surgery.

With the way the team is playing, there's reason to be bullish in Chicago.