What looks to be a potential turning point for first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls at this point of the regular season hopefully won’t turn out to be fool’s gold. Last weekend, the Bulls snapped a dreadful five-game losing streak with a much-needed win at home at the United Center over the divisional foe Cleveland Cavaliers by a comfortable double-digit margin.
That win over the Cavs back on April 17 allowed the Bulls to stay in the thick of the race to at least land a spot in the top 10 in the Eastern Conference standings, which would afford them a place in the NBA’s play-in tournament next month.
And the Bulls’ case to get a spot at least in the play-in tournament was further helped when they extended their winning streak to two games with a road upset win at the TD Garden over the Boston Celtics on April 19. The win over the Celtics earlier this week, which came by the final score of 102-96, was one of the biggest triumphs of the season so far for the Bulls.
One particular star player for the Bulls that all eyes have fallen on recently is the 30-year-old former Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic. The Bulls new front office regime snagged Vucevic from the Magic at the trade deadline last month, and that acquisition provided for mixed results since then.
How much will star Nikola Vucevic continue to help the Chicago Bulls?
While some Bulls players, such as star shooting guard Zach LaVine and rookie forward Patrick Williams, should greatly benefit over the long haul from the addition of Vucevic, his presence won’t help everyone in this rotation. Some players had to get moved to the bench following the trade deadline, and even prior key pieces of this young core were shipped off back on March 25.
The likes of third-year center Wendell Carter Jr., third-year small forward Chandler Hutchison, and second-year center Daniel Gafford were all moved out at the trade deadline.
Which players that are still on the Bulls roster at this moment continue to struggle following the addition of Vucevic at the trade deadline? Here’s a look at three in particular that have suffered since that big trade with the Magic last month.