2. Can he do the same thing with the Bulls that he did with the Nuggets?
The Nuggets have one of the best one-two offensive punches, with of one of the most interesting skill set pairings, in the NBA this year. That combination of seven-foot center Nikola Jokic and combo guard Jamal Murray makes for a dynamic that was hard to beat in the Western Conference in recent years.
There was a very big leap in the win column for the Nuggets last season. They were one of the top two seeds in the playoffs out West, but would wind up getting upset by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round. Jokic, Murray, and the Nuggets were beginning to look even stronger down the stretch, though, before Jazz center Rudy Gobert testing positive for COVID-19 placed the season on hiatus.
The real question that is being asked in the Bulls camp regarding what Karnisovas could do for them is how it compares to what he did for the Nuggets. What he did with the Nuggets in the deep and talented West is something that Bulls fans yearn for, and hopefully something he could do exiting the third year of the rebuild.
Since the Bulls are likely to have at least one or two more lottery picks in the first round of the NBA Draft in 2020 and 2021, Karnisovas would have ample resources to right the ship for this rebuild. There’s also a very fruitful 2021 free agent class that would be able to get a better look at an improving Bulls franchise with Karnisovas heading up the front office.
The Nuggets made the best use out of the skill sets that Jokic and Murray bring to the table. Even power forward Paul Millsap is starting to shoot three-pointers more effectively (44.0 percent from downtown this season). The Bulls have a roster construction that has similar foundings to that of the Nuggets with power forward Lauri Markkanen, center Wendell Carter Jr. and shooting guard Zach LaVine.