On the night of March 29, the Chicago Bulls played their second game since the trade deadline. Another loss, this time by the hands of the Golden State Warriors team featuring their sharpshooting All-Star point guard Stephen Curry, by the score of 116-102. Curry ended his night with 32 points, six assists, and five rebounds.
Already struggling to pile together much-needed wins the Bulls were without reserve second-year point guard Coby White. He missed his first NBA game in his young career with a neck injury. The Bulls could’ve used him in last night’s loss. The Bulls struggled to keep pace after a strong shooting night by Curry.
We were met with another change in the starting lineup by first-year head coach Billy Donovan. This time fourth-year forward Lauri Markkanen moved to the bench, starting in his place was veteran forward Thaddeus Young. The current starting lineup has been a steady work-in-progress thus far.
Markkanen has had his struggles and has not quite found his fit on this current roster. He is missing open looks, but mainly looks lost on defense and he has hurt the Bulls frontcourt defense tremendously. He is a defensive liability and has been mostly ineffective so far this season.
The Bulls have had the challenge of attempting to figure out this new roster while All-Star Zach LaVine is battling through an ankle injury. He clearly looked hobbled and has been only a shell of himself since the trade that saw All-Star center Nikola Vucevic traded to the Bulls.
Zach LaVine, and the rest of the Chicago Bulls’ problems
LaVine was held under 20 points for the second straight game. You would have to go back to the 2019 season since the last time Zach has been held under 20 points in back-to-back games. The pairing of the All-star duo hasn’t reached its peak by any means of the imagination.
The Bulls looked solid in the first half. A lot of ball moment and unselfish play by the new look Bulls team. Vucevic looks to be the perfect fit for the Bulls and has already proven to be a much-needed addition.
He plays unselfishly and has great passing skills for a center. He can score from anywhere on the court. Just a spectacular pick-up for this up-and-coming Bulls team.
Vucevic had another solid outing in his second game in a Bulls uniform, scoring 21 points, nine rebounds, but no stat more impressive than his six assists. He showcased some incredible passing ability for a center. He is multi-dimensional, can do it all offensively.
Patrick Williams looks to be benefiting from our All-star center and appears much better off since the acquisition of Vucevic. He is looking more aggressive and showing floor vision I did not know he had developed yet. Having more size helps Williams become a playmaker off the ball.
Williams’ confidence looks to be at an all-time high. He ended this loss with a decent showing, 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Most importantly we are seeing growth in him. The game is starting to slow down for the rookie, making his game look like he is in more control of the pace and flow of the game.
Daniel Theis gave us just a sample size of what he and his skill set can bring to the table in helping the Chicago Bulls roster succeed
Now, on to the new addition and already a fan favorite on this roster Daniel Theis. We got a great look at the third-year center. The Boston Celtics let go of a gem and skilled big man. Theis had immediate impact on the defensive end. He showed hustle and grit. Most important he was that inside presences the Bulls have been lacking.
He had two very athletic blocks and added six points, two rebounds, and three assists in his first game with the Bulls. There will be plenty more coming from him. He brings real physicality and toughness that will be needed down the stretch with playoff implications still a possible outcome.
The Bulls ended the night with 33 assists on 44 field goals made. This is just an odd outcome, not because the Bulls share the ball very well, but because they counter that very good play with 20 turnovers. The Warriors scored 19 points off those turnovers. The tale of two half’s continues to be slowing the progress down a bit.
It’s going to be impossible to win games turning the ball over at that rate. They need to take care of the basketball especially without having the luxury of a true point guard. They have to play almost mistake-free basketball for 48 minutes to have a chance to win.
The Bulls are headed in the right direction regardless of what happens the remainder of the season…
Fixing the frontcourt was a key to start moving toward the direction of winning consistently again. The defense will get better as the new-look roster gets more reps in with each other. This is exactly what you expect after a mid-season blockbuster trade.
Offensively we are okay, the Bulls still will need a point guard this offseason for this roster and organization to take that next giant leap. Having a floor general is the most important need this off-season, period, and point-blank.
Thanks to a very weak Eastern Conference the Bulls are on a four-game losing streak and find themselves still two games ahead of the Toronto Raptors for the 10th seed.
With the play-in tournament in sight, this new-look Bulls team will find a way even if it’s after a few more losses. Practice make perfect and this young team is hungry, Donovan will figure the correct lineup.
The Bulls can only go up from here. Next up is going to be a true challenge. The Phoenix Suns All-star guard duo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker poses another challenge.
This may get much worse before it gets better for LaVine and the Bulls. Even if they end up on a seven-game losing streak before this road trip is over. They are still surging and the winning will start in due time.