We’re No. 6! We’re No. 6!

So maybe you don’t get rich with that as the next great t-shirt slogan.

But it would be money for the Bulls in this coming 2025-26 season that gets its introduction Monday with the annual Media Day and then the first official practice day for Training Camp on Tuesday.

That’s because while the number six represents many things, like a football touchdown, the pips on dice, the shapes on a soccer ball and the legs on an ant — go ahead and count if you don’t believe me — it has special significance to the Bulls this season because it would mean a crawl back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022 and the second time in the last 10 seasons.

It’s hardly an ultimate goal for the franchise, and not so much for many teams. But because the top six teams in each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, it would mean a move in the right direction after three consecutive detours in the play-in tournament.

There’s actually a reasonably good chance the Bulls can get there this season.

And it’s more than, let’s say, a sixth sense.

Here’s how the Bulls can once again begin to peek out from under that blanket of mediocrity that has been smothering them the last few seasons:

1. Injuries

To the other guys.

You don’t wish misfortune on anyone, at least not too loudly, but the wheels are in motion. And they’ve already rolled over the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. The Celtics and Pacers, the last two conference champions, are almost in rebuilding, or recovery modes this season with Indiana’s best player, Tyrese Haliburton, out for the season following an Achilles tear in the Finals, and Boston’s best player, Jayson Tatum, also likely missing the entire season also with a ruptured Achilles. Indiana also lost starting center Myles Turner to Milwaukee as a free agent while the Celtics in ownership and financial change are down two other starters from their 2024 title team, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis. Games for the Bulls that were losses on the schedule may now find them as favorites. The Cavs still are formidable, but starter Max Strus is out for maybe half the season following foot surgery. Tyler Herro, Miami’s leading scorer last season, is also facing the pain of the feet, if not defeat for Miami, for several months after recent surgery. And who knows with the age and increasing infirmities — perhaps as well as ennui — of Joel Embiid and Paul George what happens with the Philadelphia 76ers. That’s a lot of games where the Bulls will be on equal footing, and likely for now healthier feet. Maybe not to be feted yet, but a more successful feat of accomplishment.

2. The Bulls lack of an All-Star

This generally is not a good thing, though Coby White, also considering the perimeter injuries to previous All-Stars in the conference as well as the departures of Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine has a good chance this season. Especially if White can push his scoring average closer to 25 points per game, which also is potentially easier the way the Bulls play. White’s scoring graph is pretty remarkable from averaging 9.4 points just two years ago. Josh Giddey also has a chance, but the Bulls aren’t likely to get a second All-Star without a much improved first half record and fan vote, which is less likely with the latter. But the lack of an All-Star can be a counterintuitive blessing. Teams with the given stars, like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and perhaps Cade Cunningham likely are thinking more into April and May, especially the Bucks after Giannis also played Eurobasket this summer. Maybe he plays 60 games. Those players will get the extended load management/rest days, and now more so likely the Knicks, if only to make a point about former coach Tom Thibodeau’s minutes allotments. The Bulls aren’t resting anyone for the post season even if they believe they can get there. And certainly not for June. So their guys will play, and that’s the way to steal some games. You take the All-Stars off the top four or five teams in the conference, and suddenly the Bulls match up well. And maybe have an edge. The Bulls plan is to have players they want to rest. They’re just not there yet.

3. Depth 

You wouldn’t want to wager too much backing the Bulls starters against… the Bulls second unit. The Bulls may not be in many individual awards races, but with the recent trades and some signings they’ve accumulated perhaps a dozen players who’ve been NBA starters. The Bulls starting five could well be Nikola Vučević, Matas Buzelis, Isaac Okoro, Coby White and Josh Giddey. So how would they do against Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, Patrick Williams and Zach Collins? With Huerter, Jones and Williams, you can make a case for better perimeter shooting. Collins can run the aging Vucevic. Giddey’s got size, but I wouldn’t bet against Jones’ toughness. And who’s got Yuki? Then, you can still run out Dalen Terry, Jalen Smith and Julian Phillips. If coach Billy Donovan reduces the minutes, he can employ pressuring groups like Rick Pitino has done. Hubie Brown also did something like that to great success when he coached Memphis. Few of the better NBA teams with stars, and thus top heavy payrolls, are outfitted with the rosters to match that kind of play. Fifty wins, anyone? Billy for Coach of the Year?

4. Playing style

This reminds me of the Bears football game a few years ago when Justin Fields scrambled all over the place against the Miami Dolphins for almost 200 yards. And walking back onto the field after another mad dash, the microphones caught Miami coach Mike McDaniel chiding Fields, “Stop it.” You got the sense of that — and heard Bulls players saying they were hearing something like that from opponents — with the mad cap pace style the Bulls were playing, especially later in the season with that 15-5 close. At that latter point in the season, teams do run up against players who have made their tee times and resort reservations. But especially in the regular season, players simply don’t care to keep running like that. The Bulls with that aforementioned depth also have the luxury — if they choose — to keep everyone under 28 minutes per game and keep relay racing out fresh bodies to keep running. Bulls management has talked about mirroring the expedited style of the Indiana Pacers. More teams are playing faster. But if the Bulls can sustain such a pace, that’s also a way to steal a few games down the stretch when opponents are, well, urging them to just stop it.

5. Free agency

Just about half the players on the Bulls roster are free agents following the 2025-26 season, which suggests there could be major changes for the team. But what it also tends to mean is there are at least a half dozen players motivated to play and have good seasons. If not only to remain Bulls, but also to make themselves appealing to other teams as free agents next summer. Dalen Terry will be a restricted free agent, but the main part of the rotation — Coby White, Nikola Vučević, Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, Ayo Dosunmu and Jevon Carter — are unrestricted free agents. And all but Carter are principal parts of the team’s playing rotation. So you have a large part of your roster who should be highly motivated to have productive regular seasons and thus enhance their value to the Bulls and the rest of the league.

6. I’ll show you.

With three consecutive postseason departures in the play-in tournament, the players should be committed to making a statement about their worth. But perhaps none more than coach Billy Donovan and point guard Josh Giddey. Donovan just was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, but he has just one playoff appearance, and no series win, as Bulls coach after five consecutive playoff appearances as coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Giddey is now the highest paid player on the Bulls roster and one of the highest paid in franchise history. He’s a prideful person, as is Donovan, and you figure they both would like to show their honors and rewards were deserving. Success in the games does that.

There are those who’ve wanted to bury the Bulls; you know, six feet under. But perhaps this group is capable of creating their own kind of special world as that was once said to have involved six special days. This season it’s all about Six.

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Chicago Bulls. All opinions expressed by Sam Smith are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Chicago Bulls or its Basketball Operations staff, parent company, partners, or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Bulls and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.