Chicago Bulls: Robin Lopez proves worth vs. Magic

A nice showing for Robin Lopez where he was close to posing a double-double against the Orlando Magic helped push the Chicago Bulls to a win.

What the potential buyout candidate for the Chicago Bulls, center Robin Lopez, was able to do in an entertaining one-point victory over the Orlando Magic on the road on Feb. 22 could’ve proved a big point to head coach Jim Boylen. This was a big test for the Bulls front court to have to face Nikola Vucevic and the Magic. The strongest part of the starting five for the Magic is down low.

That 110-109 victory over the Magic saw Lopez post a game-high three blocks to go along with his 18 points while going 8-for-13 from the field. Lopez is proving valuable to the Chicago Bulls with rookie standout center Wendell Carter Jr. absent from the lineup.

At least until Carter Jr. returns to the starting five, Lopez could hang around on the Chicago Bulls roster. The rotation for the Bulls is one of the thinnest in the NBA right now, and a lot of the depth role players on this team are more G-League caliber than professional.

The front court duo for the Chicago Bulls between power forward Lauri Markkanen and Lopez combined for more than 40 points and 17 boards. This type of effort in the paint for the Bulls could continue to win them games, but that isn’t the main goal at this point of the regular season.

It’s great to see the Chicago Bulls putting it all together, but playoff contention isn’t in the realm at this point of the regular season. Setting the pieces together for the upcoming seasons among the younger and more potent Chicago Bulls is a key part for the rest of 2018-19.

What the Bulls need to watch out for is winning too many games and getting a worse slot in the draft lottery without making the playoffs. The Bulls dug themselves too deep of a hole in the early part of the regular season to even make a run at an eight seed.

That’s why the discussion surrounding the Lopez buyout emerged in the first place for the Bulls. Lopez could become a big part of the rotation for a playoff contender if his time in the Windy City is up before the end of the regular season. The buyout market is pretty much dried up already.

Most of the players that were more sought after on the buyout market thus far, like Markieff Morris and Enes Kanter, were already scooped up by other contenders. Lopez would fill a big void in the front court for numerous playoff contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Milwaukee Bucks.

There are some indications that Lopez isn’t having such a great year, though. His supporting cast doesn’t match his ideal situation to maximize his skill set, but his player efficiency rating is still two numbers below his career average this season.