Chicago Bulls’ Eastern Conference odds are insulting after trade deadlineRyan Heckmanon February 11, 2022 at 2:36 pm

While other Eastern Conference teams were quite busy adding bigs, the Bulls decided to wait until their own big returns. Patrick Williams has been out nearly all season with a wrist injury, but should be back before the playoffs — and that’s what matters.

Of course, the giant James Harden, Ben Simmons deal changes things drastically in the East for their respective teams. But, the Bulls truly believe in what they have. However, the rest of the NBA world doesn’t seem to be on the same page.

The 2022 NBA trade deadline wasn’t kind to the Chicago Bulls’ overall odds and narrative.

Wednesday night, when the Bulls took on the Charlotte Hornets on national television, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith represented one of the worst and most uninformed takes we’ve seen all season long.

Smith was asked about where he thinks the Bulls fall in the East when they are healthy, and he answered: “Top four when healthy.”

This was just two days before the trade deadline. Smith seems to have forgotten that the Bulls had stayed in first place for the majority of the season — while not healthy. The Bulls managed to fight for their first place standing, weeks on end, while being down several significant bodies in their rotation.

Not much has changed with the national narrative, though — or many of the odds makers.

At the moment, the Bulls are still at the fifth-best odds to win the Eastern Conference. Not to mention, the odds are incredibly insulting.

Brooklyn Nets +250