The All-Star break is over and the Chicago Bulls will get back into action in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight in the United Center. Here are three things I’d like to see from the Bulls over their last 25 games of the 2017-18 season.
The Chicago Bulls are about to embark on the last stretch of their 2017-18 season. This campaign will, presumably, be their worst regular season in nearly 15 years.
But, that doesn’t mean this year will be a waste for the franchise. The Bulls went into this season with the goals of rebuilding their roster, developing their young players and positioning themselves to experience greater amounts of success in the future.
And while the Chicago Bulls have done an admirable job working towards their previously mentioned goals, they aren’t done yet. They still must play nearly 1,200 regular season minutes. The Bulls will have an abundance of opportunities to take advantage of. Here’s what the franchise needs to do over its next seven weeks to make the 2017-18 season a successful campaign.
More time for Dunn, LaVine, and Markkanen
The most coveted players on the Bulls roster have each displayed promising play this season.
Guard Kris Dunn has proved his flop of a rookie season was due to his lack of opportunity. Rookie forward Lauri Markkanen has had one of the best seasons out of the entire 2017-18 rookie class and should be in line to be named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Guard Zach LaVine has bounced back well from his surgery to repair his torn ACL last Feb. and is making the Bulls’ blockbuster trade during the summer of 2017 look like a bigger win for the organization by the game.
But, the problem is they haven’t played a lot of basketball together.
The trio has only shared the court with each other for a total of 50 minutes during the 2017-18 season. The small sample size of their playing time outweighs their lack of success together; the Bulls were outscored by 22.2 points per 100 possessions during those 50 minutes.
It’s difficult to evaluate how well they mesh as a trio
We know the pairing of Dunn and Markkanen works.
The Bulls witnessed significant improvements in offensive rating, defensive rating, effective field goal percentage, true shooting percentage and pace when Dunn and Markkanen shared the floor together during the 2017-18 season.
Dunn’s playmaking ability makes life easier for Markkanen. Markkanen’s effective field goal percentage, true shooting percentage, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage increased in the minutes he played with Dunn since Dec. 1.
"‘‘Kris Dunn has done a great job, especially late in games, of either attacking or, if Lauri’s man helps out, making that on-time, on-target pass,’’ said Head Coach Fred Hoiberg, according to a Feb. 11 Chicago Sun-Times article. ‘‘And he’s done a really good job of that.’’"
We can’t be sure how LaVine fits with either player. He’s only played 195 minutes with Markkanen and 55 minutes with Dunn. Although they were teammates on the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2016-17 season, LaVine and Dunn only shared the floor together for 531 minutes last year.
"“We definitely have to try to find the chemistry out there,” said Dunn, according to a Feb. 15 The Athletic Article. “When you find the chemistry and a nice groove and everybody knows each other, things are a lot easier. It’s only been four games. It’s going to take time. Hopefully we get it right away coming into the second half.”"
In theory, LaVine’s scoring ability should help the Chicago Bulls. But, he’ll need to improve as a playmaker for others and also as a defender to make a significant positive impact. The Bulls allow an insane 114.4 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor, which is the worst on the team. His assist to usage rate is in the seventh percentile among combo guards, which is horrendous.
LaVine needs to improve. Dunn is going to have to become a more efficient scorer. Markkanen needs to consistently be aggressive on the offensive end. With Dunn back and Lavine’s minute restrictions slowly decreasing, they’re going to have to figure out how to do all that together.
Out with the old, in with the new
The trade deadline passed and there aren’t any players on the Chicago Bulls roster who should be buy-out candidates. However, fans should expect to see a different Bulls team after the All-Star break.
Paxson said Felicio and Nwaba will start alongside Dunn, LaVine and Markkanen and Grant out of rotation with Payne as backup PG.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 20, 2018
These moves aren’t going to make the Bulls a better team. They’re probably going to irritate certain segments of fans. But, giving their younger players more game action is exactly what the Bulls should do over this last stretch of the season.
The franchise entered the season with the aspirations of developing their young players. But, development only happens when opportunities are present. So, the Bulls shouldn’t shy away from providing their youth with an adequate amount of chances. They need to evaluate what they have on their roster.
There’s a lot to learn about the Chicago Bulls young players
We already know guard Justin Holiday and center Robin Lopez are solid players who can help a team with aspirations of having a successful playoff run. We know guard Jerian Grant can be inconsistent, but is good at attacking the rim and getting others involved. However, there’s still a lot to learn about the younger guys.
I want to know what role guard/forward Denzel Valentine will play going forward. He went through a significant streak of poor play immediately after LaVine returned. Guard David Nwaba makes an impact in unconventional ways. I’ll be interested in seeing if he’s better suited to play alongside starters who can mask his weaknesses on the offensive side.
Forward Bobby Portis has had a good season and I want to know if he can continue to excel as his load on the offensive end increases. I’m curious as to what guard Cameron Payne, forward Noah Vonleh and center Cristiano Felicio can bring to the team and if they’re worth keeping around long-term.
Next: The Bulls start their next chapter at home against the 76ers
Felicio hasn’t received a lot of playing time this season. He’s been disappointing in limited action and doesn’t resemble the player he was last season. Vonleh hasn’t made his mark in the league after being a lottery pick in 2014. But, his athleticism and physical gifts offer glimmers of hope to the kind of player he can become. Payne is expected to make his 2017-18 debut soon and feels as if he’s been judged unfairly.
Cam Payne believes he's been unfairly judged by last season's 11-game stint: "But it’s fine. It comes with it, criticism. I feed into it. Makes me a better player. Makes me work harder in the gym." Believes this team, style of play fits his skill set better.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 21, 2018
I will gain clarity to my curiosities. But, they’ll be answered once the young Bulls play more basketball.
More Bulls’ (and Pelicans’) losses
I like the core of Dunn, LaVine and Markkanen with Valentine, Nwaba, and Portis playing supplemental roles. I think the Chicago Bulls will be a good team if they decided to sandpit and handed the future of the franchise to those players.
But, the point of a rebuild isn’t to be a good team. The point of a rebuild is to calibrate the roster so the team will be a long-standing championship contender in the future. The Bulls will need to get the kind of players who will help them achieve that goal through the draft.
The Chicago Bulls have the eighth-worst record in the league. They’re three games back of the worst record in the association. The difference between drafting at the eighth spot and, let’s say, the fourth spot is more significant than it was last season.
It’s the difference between drafting Michigan State University forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who should be a solid player in the NBA, and a possible transcendent talent like University of Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr.
The first round draft pick the Bulls received from the New Orleans Pelicans carries value. If the Pelicans drop out of the playoff race then the Bulls will have two lottery picks they can use on prospects. More losses by the Pelicans also increases the Bulls flexibility. They can pair the Pelicans pick with a player like Lopez and Holiday on draft night to move up on the draft board.
"“We’re not going to go out and start throwing money out 32-, 34-year-old players, “said John Paxson, Vice President of Basketball Operations, according to Cody Westerlund of 670 TheScore. “We’re going to be smart and contentious about that. I like our future. I think it’s bright, and we’re going to be patient with this process.”"
It’s great to hear the front office has learned from their past mistakes. Now, it’s time to execute the plan.