As the Western Conference road trip continues for second-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls, the team is still playing without two-time All-Star center Nikola Vucevic. The former Orlando Magic star big man Vucevic is still out due to the league’s health and safety protocol.
And it looks like Vucevic was still testing positive for COVID-19 as of Nov. 17. He first entered health and safety protocol back on Nov. 11, and it’s clear that he’s going to miss the Bulls’ Nov. 19 meeting with the Denver Nuggets on the road.
Yet, the Bulls had to make some pretty big adjustments to the rotation in the last few games to make up for the void left by Vucevic in the frontcourt unit. One player that is now getting minutes at the five with Vucevic out is the former Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr.
Chicago Bulls getting minutes out of Derrick Jones Jr. at the five
Billy Donovan said that, as of last update, Nikola Vucevic hasn't advanced to cardiovascular testing phase of health and safety protocol, meaning he's not yet producing negative COVID-19 tests
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) November 18, 2021
Vucevic entered protocol six days ago (Nov. 11)
For the first time in his NBA career, Jones is playing more minutes at the four and the five than he is at any other position. Jones has played 52 percent of his minutes at the four or the five this season, which is pretty incredible.
According to a report from K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago this week, Jones sounds happy to contribute to the team any way he can. He reportedly “doesn’t care” if he’s got to defend centers if that means that he’s got a key role on this team to contribute in a meaningful way.
That sounds great on the surface, but how has Jones done defending at the five this season?
Jones is actually playing by far his best basketball when defending centers and forwards this season. Forwards are shooting around 40 percent from the field and just 16 percent from beyond the arc this season when Jones is matched up at that position. And centers are shooting around 57 percent from the field when Jones is defending at that position. But he’s also drawn one turnover and blocked two shots when defending at the five.
If Jones’ attitude is that he wants to contribute in any way that he can effectively, then it makes a lot of sense to keep having him play minutes at the five. He looks incredibly effective playing at the four and five on both ends of the floor in the last few games.
Following a bad loss to the Trail Blazers on the road in a second-half collapse on Nov. 17, the Bulls own a record of 10-5 on the season. Next up for Jones and the Bulls is a meeting with the Nuggets on the road in Denver on Nov. 19.