Thaddeus Young, F
The most difficult name I had to put on this list among those Bulls players that weren’t the greatest fits with the star duo of LaVine and Vooch is the veteran 32-year-old forward and New Orleans, LA, native Thaddeus Young. He’s one of the most versatile and efficient Bulls players this season, and that deserves to be commended.
Including Young on this list does nothing to take away from his stellar 2020-21 campaign he’s had in his second year with the Bulls. Donovan did a lot to elevate Young’s game, and that shouldn’t be overlooked. The overall value that Young brings to the table for almost any NBA team has greatly elevated since the start of the season.
The problem that both Young and the Bulls face in the near future is figuring out where his role lies with the team. His contract will pay him more than $14 million next season, which is a lot if the Bulls don’t plan on keeping him in the starting five. And it’s hard to shake the feeling that Young’s spot in the rotation felt displaced after the Bulls landed Vooch and center Daniel Theis at the deadline.
Another problem is that Young’s numbers have dropped significantly since the All-Star Break. While other Bulls players like White and rookie forward Patrick Williams have picked up the pace since the All-Star Break, this trio of Bulls players on this list have not. Young’s assist-to-turnover ratio, assists per game, true shooting percentage, and offensive rating, have all dropped since the All-Star Break.