The Chicago Bulls got a little revenge when the New York Knicks came to town on Tuesday. But who’s hot and who’s not with the team at 4-7?
At last check, the Chicago Bulls were 1-4 and coming off a demoralizing loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then they have gone 3-3, marking a slight improvement but an improvement nonetheless. They have failed to close out games but a major contribution from a roookie changed that trend, at least for one night.
Holds: Coby White and Wendell Carter Jr
Coby White – Last 5 Games: 9.6/3/2, .290/.115/.643; Tuesday: 27/3/1, 7-11 3P, 21 Pts on record seven 3P in 4Q
Coby White spent the first half of the short season dazzling fans with his knack for getting buckets off the Bulls bench. So much so that there were calls for the rookie to usurp Tomas Satoransky in the starting lineup. Those calls have had to trust the process as the former Tar Heel has come back to Earth.
His shooting has been tragic recently with all of his numbers taking hits. None hurt more than his three-point percentage. On a team ranked 25th in three-point percentage (12th in attempts) White’s outside shooting is a necessity. But he is fearless offensively and it can pay off big like it did during his record-setting fourth quarter when he hit seven triples.
Wendell Carter Jr. – First 5: 13.2 PPG, 9 RPG; Last 6: 13.2 PPG, 10.3 RPG
After playing himself into shape to begin, Wendell Carter has been the most consistent member of the Bulls. He has recorded a double-double in seven of 11 games this season and was close in two others. The Bulls offensive rating drops from 106.3 to 98.2 when he is off the floor while opponents see the inverse, going from 106.5 to 109.1.
His free throw shooting and foul trouble stifle him more than anything. His low point was the 13 minute-performance against the Atlanta Hawks in which he fouled out. But he had 13 and 16 against the Houston Rockets and had 17 and 12 in the rematch against the New York Knicks.
Risers: Chandler Hutchison and Kris Dunn
Chandler Hutchison – 54.5 FG%, 60% 3P, 61.4% eFG
Chandler Hutchison has slowly been worked back into the swing of things. He played a little over 14 minutes in his first game back against the Los Angeles Lakers going for a quiet five points and three rebounds. He got up to just over 23 minutes against the Rockets and saw 20 against New York.
The biggest boost to Hutchison’s stock came from the absence of starting forward Otto Porter, whose timetable for return is unknown. The second-year man is one of only two Bulls with a positive net rating, joining…Porter. Hutchison is not the shooter or all-around player that Porter is, but he has an opportunity to show why he was a first-round pick.
Kris Dunn – 2019: .531 2P%; 2.2 Steals; 2.3 DBPM; Tuesday: 13/5/2, 3 Stl, 1 Blk
From certain trade fodder to being a valuable member off the bench, Kris Dunn is the Bulls highest rated player in Defensive and Box Plus-Minus. The 25-year-old also leads the Bulls in steals and has cut his turnovers down by a healthy margin. Perhaps the biggest positive turn for Dunn has been the tone the coaches amd front office have when discussing him.
Dunn was at one point the Bulls point guard of the future. He has turned himself back into the defensive specialist he was billed as earlier in his career. Perhaps lost in everything is Dunn is currently fourth on the team in shooting percentage on two-point field goals. The overlook is understandable (he’s been bad behind the arc and from the free-throw line) but it still shouldn’t be dismissed.
Fallers: Lauri Markkanen and Denzel Valentine
Lauri Markkanen – 2018: .430/.362/.872; 2019: .386/.273/.824
Chicago’s new offensive system has not favored Lauri Markkanen so far in 2019. He had a 35-point, 17-board outburst to start the season but has failed to reach 20 points since and has only grabbed double-digit boards in one other contest. Tuesday against the Knicks was no different. He went for 13 points and eight boards on 40 percent shooting; 20 percent from deep.
He’s limped to 14.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The drop in scoring is concerning, but his inefficiency and, being a player of his stature, grabbing so few rebounds is even more so. He has reportedly been dealing with a strained oblique and becoming a spot-up shooter is on the coach. But Markkanen is playing far below expectations.
Denzel Valentine – .333 3P%; 2 Games Played (3 MPG), G-League Stint
Denzel Valentine missed all of last season with a broken ankle. He played in the preseason and had one of the worst offensive and defensive ratings on the team. His shooting was also abysmal and that he had the second-lowest field goal percentage and Plus-Minus on the team during the exhibition run.
But it was still the expectation that the Michigan State alum would play a significant role. That has not been the case. He shot poorly from the floor in both appearances (though he was one of two from deep in the first one) and has the highest usage on the team due to averaging 2.5 shots in those three minutes per game minutes. He’s already been relegated to the G-League once.
Chicago Bulls Stock Watch
The Bulls as a whole were trending downward before showing some positive signs on Tuesday. They missed their chance for a quick start and have much to correct if they are to make good on their plans to reach the postseason. They are also hindering what is widely believed to be their (and much of the NBA’s) long-term plans of landing Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2020. They’ll probably need to win some more games for that.