Chicago Bulls: 5 step successful 2019 offseason plan

5. Be Honest About Roster

Chicago ranked at or near the bottom in most offensive categories. They were 27th in points, 29th in offensive rating, 28th in both effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage. Those numbers are backed up by their ranking 30th in second-chance points and offensive rebounds while ranking 26th in free throw attempts.

Injuries certainly held them back. But their projected starters (Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, Otto Porter, Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter) did not register a single minute together as a unit. The closest grouping (swapping Robin Lopez for Carter or Chandler Hutchison for Porter) were minus-4.5 and minus-27.4, respectively, in points per 100 possessions.

We already know they have identified Dunn as the weak link in their core. They might be onto something as the Bulls ranked 25th in assist percentage. But their best player is LaVine, who is not a point guard, and needs the ball in his hands. He generated 9.5 points per game on drives and 5.8 on pull-ups compared to only 2.5 on catch and shoot opportunities.

Whomever the Bulls replace Dunn with needs to be willing and able to score from outside. And do so without being ball-dominant. Ideally, they should also be stout on the perimeter to help cover for LaVine’s deficiencies. That latter trait is not one the draft’s top guards are touted for.

There are, however, alternative options to fill the point guard void. It is just a matter of picking the right opportunity to jump on. Luckily there is an obvious solution.