Chicago Bulls: 3 players causing the second half collapses

Players causing the second half collapses No. 3: Wendell Carter Jr.

I do want to say before getting into this piece that there’s no single source of fault for the level of inconsistency (even in-game and within halves) that the Bulls have played with since the All-Star Break let out. Donovan can’t be happy with what he’s seen in the Bulls four losses since the conclusion of the All-Star Break back on March 11.

This team now has losses to the likes of shorthanded teams in the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers and earlier this week in the Spurs and Nuggets. That’s not a good set of losses for a Bulls team that still has a difficult schedule in the coming weeks.

However, one player that Bulls fans have taken a big qualm with of late is the third-year 6-foot-10 and 270 pound 21-year-old center Wendell Carter Jr. This former Duke Blue Devils big man came into his third year in the NBA with high expectations. Given the fundamental shooting ability and overall high basketball IQ of WCJ, there were anticipations that Donovan could take his game to the next level.

But nothing of the sort has transpired so far this season. WCJ has provided the Bulls with especially mixed results since he’s come off the bench in the last few games.

After hot starts in each of the last two games for WCJ and the Bulls, he’s really cooled off in the second half. WCJ shot well over 50 percent from the field and was a force on the glass for the Bulls in the first half against the Spurs and Nuggets. That turned into two games where he finished up with 10 and six points, respectively, barely shooting over 40 percent from the field cumulatively.

The play of WCJ has to get better in the near future, or he could be on his way out. He’s about to enter the final year of his rookie contract next season.