Chicago Bulls: 3 players standing out as the rest of the team struggles

Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
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Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Nikola Vucevic, C

We all knew the high expectations that the former Magic two-time All-Star center Vucevic brought with him to the Windy City following a busy trade deadline for first-year executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley. Vooch got his second career All-Star nod this year, giving this Bulls team a duo that represented the East in Atlanta, GA, last month.

The duo of star shooting guard Zach LaVine and Vooch is one that has not taken off yet for Donovan and the Bulls. And that is largely thanks to a recent ankle injury that LaVine has dealt with. We have not seen the combination of LaVine and Vooch be healthy and productive at the same time as of yet.

Since landing with the Bulls last week, Vooch has played well, but not to the point where he’s winning games for the team by himself. He’s averaged around 21 points per game, nine rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block, in four games in a Bulls uniform thus far. And Vooch shot 50 percent from the field 30 percent from beyond the arc, and 94 percent from the charity stripe.

Vooch is definitely playing well enough for the Bulls for them to be winning more games. But there has to be someone else beside him and Young stepping up when it matters most. Getting a healthy LaVine rolling again this month will be key if the Bulls want to have any shot of getting a decent seed in the playoffs this year.