3 positions the Chicago Bulls most desperately need to upgrade

3. Backup shooting guard

The Bulls should be set at the shooting guard position next season if rising star 6-foot-6 former UCLA Bruin Zach LaVine holds to form as top scorer in the East. There are areas in which LaVine needs to improve heading into next season, but he is already getting better in a number of areas of his game.

Any way you look at it, LaVine is a quality starter at shooting guard in this league. He averaged 25.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks, in the season that was for the Bulls. LaVine shot 45.0 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 80.2 percent from the free-throw line. That was good for an effective field goal percentage of 52.6 and a 56.8 true shooting percentage.

Where the Bulls need help at this position in particular is in the second unit behind LaVine. The Bulls didn’t have a true standout shooting guard that could reliably assume that role for most of the 2019-20 regular season. There were a few options that looked promising at times, including running rookie Coby White and combo guard Tomas Satoransky at the two. Even French native Adam Mokoka looked good at times. But not near good enough to assume the second unit role yet.

The Bulls either need to find shooting guard help in the free agent market, or in the NBA Draft. A trade could happen but that’s not always a good way to go. It’s likely that the former Michigan State Spartan and shooting guard Denzel Valentine will enter restricted free agency this offseason and that Mokoka will at least take a few more years to develop.

This should be a particular area of rotational focus for Karnisovas this offseason.