Chicago Bulls: 3 Players who disappointed in April
The Chicago Bulls struggled their way to a 7-10 record in the month of April. A number of things played a role in their underachieving record for the month, including Zach LaVine playing in just eight of a possible 17 games.
Still, it was the month that truly saw the season get away from the team and will be looked back at as the stretch in which the team saw themselves drop from a playoff-hopeful to a lottery disappointment.
The fact is, the team never got their footing following the trade deadline and struggled to find any type of consistency. While players like LaVine and Nikola Vucevic did their part throughout the month, a number of their teammates were unable to find the success the team needed to win more games.
As individual players, an argument could be made that each and every player struggled in April. That is true because it is on the star players to elevate their teammates to their level and put everyone in a position to win games.
Still, we will be highlighting the players who individually struggled on the court during the month.
Chicago Bulls Players that Struggled in April: Lauri Markkanen
Markkanen shot the ball well in the month but simply did not contribute the offense needed from him in April. The upcoming restricted free agent shot 41.4 percent from behind the arc yet only managed to average 9.7 points per game.
For context, he scored 14.8 points per game in March. Markkanen struggled partially due to a permanent switch to a bench role that he has failed to find any sort of a rhythm in. That’s no excuse, and his high shooting percentage only shows how much more he could have done if he maintained the aggressive approach he had earlier in the season.
He got to the free-throw line just .9 times per game. That number is unacceptable for a player with his ability. His 4.1 rebounds per game were a full 1.7 rebounds less than the month prior. These statistics offer further evidence of why Markkanen will not be returning to the team next season.
Scoring is where he is most capable and most needed, though. By failing to average even ten points per game he didn’t live up to his capabilities offensively and was a major part of the reason the defensively challenged team struggled to outscore opponents more often than not.