1) Players dragging the Chicago Bulls down of late
Wendell Carter Jr., Center
A player that has really come to the forefront in a negative sense of late for the Bulls is the third-year 21-year-old former Duke Blue Devils center Wendell Carter Jr. The 6-foot-10 and 270 pound big man is getting dominated at time on both ends of the floor in the paint, which is the opposite of the presence that Donovan and the Bulls need from him.
If WCJ is to have a spot in the starting five over the long haul at the five will not get cemented anytime soon if he keeps showing up in the post the way he has in the last four or five games. His play down low really has not helped the Bulls find any success in the win column in their two losses back after the All-Star Break.
WCJ was supposed to see his production heighten in the last two games against the Sixers and Heat, with both Embiid and Adebayo out. Instead, the Bulls have found themselves getting dominated in the paint by backup big men like Tony Bradley and even at times Chris Silva.
In his two games back since the All-Star Break, WCJ has averaged just six points per game, nine rebounds, two assists, one block, and one turnover. And he’s shot a rough 30.8 percent from the field, missed his sole attempt from beyond the arc, and has hit four of his four attempts from the charity stripe.
To add to those rough numbers from WCJ since the conclusion of the All-Star Break, he’s registered a true shooting percentage just north of 40, a 100 offensive rating, and 111 defensive rating. His play has to improve the rest of the way if he is to hold a long-term role with this team soon entering the final year of his rookie contract.