The NBA is going through a 3-point shooting revolution. How are the Chicago Bulls fitting into the modern era of basketball?
For better or worse, basketball is changing.
The NBA is fully locked into the pace-and-space era. In the 2018-19 season, NBA teams shot 32 threes per game (the most ever), averaged 111.2 points per game and had an average pace of 100 (pace = possessions per 48 minutes). In the 1997-98 season – the last time the Chicago Bulls won the title – teams shot 12.7 threes per game, averaged 95.6 points per game and had an average pace of 90.3.
So how are the Bulls handling this shift in style? Let’s dive into it.
Chicago was a little behind in terms of following the new NBA trend. Remember when they thought it was a good idea to play Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler next to each other on the perimeter? That feels like a trio that would’ve been successful in 1999 – not 2016.
Trading Butler in 2017 was a step in the right direction. They picked up Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn in that deal. Markkanen embodies the modern NBA big man. He’s lanky, he can move his feet and he has unlimited range. If you were designing a power forward for 2019, you’d probably use Lauri Markkanen as the template.
Zach LaVine is another guy that moves the 3-point shooting needle in the right direction for Chicago. He’s not an elite marksman, but he takes (and makes) difficult shots. He has impeccable balance, rhythm and athleticism, which allows him to get shots off whenever he needs to. As LaVine ages, I’m expecting his jumper to improve drastically. He has all the tools to be a knockdown shooter.
Dunn hasn’t developed into the shooter that Bulls fans were hoping he would turn into. His ceiling was reliant on his jumper. When he came into the league, he had the potential to be great. Now, it’s pretty clear where he stands in the NBA: He’s a serviceable backup point guard who can step in as a starter when needed.
All in all, the Jimmy Butler trade was a good move for the Bulls in terms of adapting to the new era of NBA basketball. They got two good guys and one not-so-good guy. Still, the Bulls finished dead last in 3-point makes per game in the 2018-19 season, so something needs to change.
Had the Bulls gotten a full season of Otto Porter Jr. in 2018-19, it’s hard to imagine they would’ve been as bad of a shooting team as they were. He shot an absurd 48.8% from 3-point range on 5.3 attempts per game in 15 games for Chicago. His impact went far beyond his individual shot-making ability, though. When he was on the floor, defenses weren’t able to sag off of him, resulting in open shots for other players on the team. Acquiring Porter was a really solid step in the right direction.
Coby White – the seventh overall pick in this summer’s draft – struggled mightily with his shot in Summer League, but that seemed like a result of the college-to-NBA transition, not a problem with his actual jumper. If the Bulls are dedicated to joining the pace-and-space era (which they should be), then drafting White was another solid move. On the offensive end of the floor, he’s everything Kris Dunn isn’t.
The final piece to the 3-point-shooting puzzle is Jim Boylen. When he first got the job as head coach, it looked like the Bulls were back in the late ’90s again. They were playing old and slow. As the season went on, though, it looked like Boylen was starting to come around to the new style of NBA basketball. If he continues to progress as a coach, the Bulls will be just fine.
It’s hard to say Chicago has done a nice job of adapting to the 3-point revolution, though. I mean, they made fewer threes than any other team last season. That pretty much speaks for itself.
The Bulls do deserve some credit for trying to build a roster that fits the modern game, though. Nothing goes from horrible to great overnight, so it’s important to be patient with this Bulls team. They’ve made the right first steps (smart trades and draft picks). Now it’s time for them to show everyone they’re a different team during the regular season – maybe even a modern team.