Chicago Bulls are prepared for increased competition in the conference: ‘This is the toughest the East has been’

After establishing themselves as an Eastern Conference contender last season, the Chicago Bulls enter the new season with higher expectations — and a higher bar for competition in the East.

“This year is going to be way harder than last year,” coach Billy Donovan said Monday. “The East is better and we’ve got a lot more challenges in front of us. It is going to be a lot harder and we’re going to have to put more into it to for us to take another step.”

The East dominated the trade windows this summer, headlined by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ blockbuster move to bring in All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz.

The Boston Celtics return all five starters who led them to the NBA Finals last season. The Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers remain reliably stalwart behind stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. The Cavaliers made a colossal jump in the power rankings, while teams such as the Atlanta Hawks improved their core through transactions.

“This is the toughest the East has been since I’ve been in the league,” Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan said. “That makes it exciting.”

Players across the roster acknowledged that this season will be particularly challenging as the Bulls fight for a second straight playoff berth, but they also voiced eagerness to prove themselves against tougher conference opponents.

Or as DeRozan put it: “You don’t want to go to the movies and watch 10 movies and (have them all be) crappy movies. I want to see all blockbuster thrillers.”

Already short-handed to start the season without point guard Lonzo Ball, the Bulls will be tested by the Eastern Conference’s depth.

They were well-positioned to secure a high playoff seed heading into the All-Star break last season only to disintegrate because of injuries, finishing sixth in the East before bowing out of the first round against the Bucks.

The three teams who finished immediately below the Bulls — the Brooklyn Nets, Cavaliers and Hawks — made some of the largest improvements for the upcoming season, deepening the challenge to maintain playoff positioning.

DeRozan said he welcomes the pressure as an opportunity for the team to build through the season.

“I love the competitive island that the East is on,” DeRozan said. “That’s what brings the best out of you when you have the best around you. You have to compete.

”People get so caught up in the rankings. You put me in a room with the best, it brings out the best in me. That’s the approach that we have to take this whole season.”