Chicago Bulls: The challenge of trying to make sense of this team

The Chicago Bulls Secret Sauce

This space has been used to advocate for the Bulls to run their offense through Nikola Vucevic even when LaVine returns. That argument had seemingly taken a hit as the Bulls suffered through that gut-wrenching loss to the Cavs. But they jumped on the Bulls from the start and the good guys never recovered with Vucevic playing sparingly in the second half.

It’s moments like those, or anytime when the offense stagnates, that you need a certified bucket like LaVine.

We can talk about his deficiencies until we’re blue in the face. The fact of the matter is, guys who can put the ball in the basket like the first-time All-Star are in demand. Seriously, just think about how long it’s been since the Bulls had one.

But LaVine’s instant offense often leads to one-and-done trips, poor shot selection, and, worst of all, turnovers. It’s because of that that LaVine needs to defer to Vucevic to start most possessions. When they’re running in transition, by all means, Zach should be leading the break and looking for outlets.

If they’re in their halfcourt offense, however, Vuc needs to be the hub. He’s averaging half the turnover of LaVine and has an easier path to points.

Need to jumpstart the offense? LaVine is your man as one of the few Bulls who can create his own shot and the only one who can do so consistently. Want to get everyone involved? Start your actions with Vucevic and work from the inside out.

This could also help solve one of the Bulls’ other bugaboos: getting to the free-throw line. Vooch’s free throw rate in Orlando was .121 compared to the .109 it is now in Chicago.