10 key takeaways from Week 3 of the 2020-21 NBA

#5 Chicago Bulls display their competitiveness

Despite having the second-worst defensive rating in the 2020-21 NBA, the Chicago Bulls are showing they could prove to be good value for money, as they have emerged as an outside bet to reach the Eastern Conference playoffs.

A season-high 45 points for Zach LaVine on Sunday.45 pts | 15-26 FG | 10 threes | 7 reb | 7 ast pic.twitter.com/ZFK8WxNd7y
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 11, 2021

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Coby White and Zach LaVine have been hugely exciting to watch. LaV will be aggrieved not to have not earned the Eastern Player of the Week after scoring a combined 83 points on the road in LA.

The Chicago Bulls have defensive issues. However, if they manage to address the same, they could have a genuine chance of making the playoffs, given the less stacked nature of the Eastern Conference.

#6 Atlanta Hawks fritter away a good start

How quickly a 4-1 start can turn into a 4-5! After John Collins expressed his displeasure with the Atlanta Hawks' offense, his side have lost two games against the Charlotte Hornets, scoring an average of 99.5 points.

Trae Young has looked lethargic and disinterested, perhaps even a little betrayed.

Collins' point stands that Atlanta need not hoist up shots close to the start of the 24-second clock, given the wealth of talent they now boast. However, Atlanta have lost two games on the bounce with a less-efficient offense.

That suggests that Collins could be exiting the franchise sooner than expected as the Hawks focus on their superstar talent Trae Young.

#7 Offense the key for LA Clippers

Portland Trail Blazers vs Los Angeles Clippers

Heading into the new season, LA Clippers fans would have hoped to see signs that they can make the Conference Finals. With their offense, the LA Clippers will likely finish second in their Conference, but they would want to make it difficult for teams to score against them, particularly from the perimeter.

The LA Clippers currently have a bottom-5 defense despite having elite defensive assets like Kawhi Leonard and Patrick Beverley.

Ty Lue will undoubtedly bring his side back into top-10 contention. However, if they are to succeed this postseason, they will need to lose the ghosts of failures past.