Exciting Bulls Relevant Again

 

April 29, 2022

In the first round of the playoffs, led by Demar DeRozan’s 41 points, the Bulls upset the Milwaukee Bucks in game two. The Bulls had wrestled home court advantage with this road win. Later it was learned that all-star Kris Middleton was injured and would not return. This actually helped the Bucks, as they inserted Bobby Portis to join Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounm up front. The Bulls were completely
outsized. This, combined with poor perimeter shooting gave the Bulls no chance. Giannis is going to dominate most games, but it was arch enemy Grayson Allen’s sharpshooting that doomed the Bulls as they were blown out in the last three games. However, gaining experience in the playoffs is a big positive.

The loss in the playoffs shouldn’t overshadow the fine season. The Bulls improved, posting 46 wins, compared to 31 wins last year, and were a 6 seed in the playoffs. If they don’t get beset by injuries, they win 50 games and they get a 1 or 2 seed. The future looks bright and I’m confident that President of Basketball Operations, Arturas Karnisovas, will fortify this team in the off season.

The Bulls immediately get better as forward Patrick Williams becomes a starter. Lonzo Bell should eventually heal from his injury to facilitate their offense. Rookie Ayo Dosunmu was better than expected and should improve. Alex Caruso will be the leader of a tenacious defense. Center Nicola Vucevic was inconsistent most of the year. He is a terrific post-up player, the problem is he spends the majority of
possessions on the outside where his shooting is dismal. You wouldn’t get much in a trade so he stays.

DeMar DeRozen posted the best scoring average in his career. Late game heroics and clutch fourth quarter scoring propelled the Bulls to many victories. However, I cringe every time he brings the ball up court. He is not very good and you know that the play call is for him to dribble to his deadly mid- range shot. The problem here is that he is not a three point shooter, so he can’t pull up or step back. He often gets double teamed because he doesn’t get rid of the ball. Add to that he turns the ball over multiple times. The Bulls desperately need a lights out 3 point shooter and I would trade DeRozen in a heartbeat for that type of player.

The biggest question is do you sign Zach LaVine to a max contract? LaVine is a prolific scorer and improved his defense. His ball handling still leaves much to be desired and he commits multiple turnovers. He, for the most part, disappeared in the playoffs. There are other issues surrounding LaVine. Due to injury, he sat out two games, but selfishly participated in the all-star game. He likely will be having surgery to repair his leg and knee injuries. It would prudent for Karnasovas to see who else is available to replace LaVine before giving him a max contract.