While getting back in the winning column is nice, the Bulls offensive struggles still exist.
The Chicago Bulls snapped their five-game losing streak on Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons. The 18-48 Pistons were riding a three-game winning streak entering the matchup and gave the Bulls a run for their money.
It took a fourth quarter master class from MVP candidate DeMar DeRozan for the Bulls to take the lead. He put up 36 points, while LaVine scored 25 and Vucevic added 21.
The Bulls weren’t able to take the lead until five minutes remaining, requiring an 11-0 run to return to the driver’s seat. It’s also worth noting the Bulls were 31-of-35 from the free-throw line, including 11-of-13 in the fourth quarter. The Pistons went 13-17 and made one of two attempts in the fourth.
Scoring wasn’t the issue for the Bulls. Their “Big 3” did what they were supposed to do on the offensive end, but their role players are still missing in action.
Bulls have two of the top 25 players in the league ... but yet they need to be saved by a second-year guy, a role player and a pass-first point guard? OK. https://t.co/z9JRbbUKO6
— Joe Cowley (@JCowleyHoops) March 9, 2022
Uhh … yes, precisely.
The Bulls have had a problem in recent games with teams trapping their star guards on drives. During their five-game losing streak, DeRozan and LaVine were baited into driving into traps without a reliable kick-out option.
Head coach Billy Donovan hasn’t figured out how to take a load off of his star’s backs. During their five-game losing streak, there wasn’t a single Bull outside of their stars that scored in the double digits. Even in their game against the Pistons, a bottom five defensive team, none of the role players scored double figures. The closest was Ayo Dosunmu with nine points in 37 minutes.
Chicago’s primary role players average a 12.4% usage rating, meaning they are involved in the offense less than 15% of the time. Teams have made note of this and are now defending the Bulls stars as if they are playing five on three.
What’s puzzling about this is the Bulls’ role players are capable of hitting shots. Their main role players at the guard position shoot 38% from 3-point range on catch-and-shoot opportunities. Dosunmu scored double digits in 24 of the Bulls’ games this year, shooting an average of 64% in those contests. Coby White shoots 52% on catch-and-shoot opportunities in the fourth quarter. Yet they’re not getting enough run or adequate looks during a time they should be getting more due to injuries.
So why isn’t Donovan making a concerted effort to incorporate his role players on offense? The answer isn’t definite to onlookers … or even to Donovan.
"“I have to be better. I have to find better ways to help them,” Donovan said. “I’m in this with them. I think it’s my responsibility for guys like Ayo and Coby, even Zach, some of these guys who haven’t played in places that they want to play in this league, that there are certain things you can’t escape that have to do. And you have to confront them.”"
Donovan took the brunt of the blame for his role players not being prepared for big moments. And while the role players’ urgency in clutch moments is a cause for concern, it’s clear the late-situation plays are isolation-based as well.
DeRozan and LaVine are great in iso, but it’s extremely easy to scout and detect such an offensive strategy. When there’s ball and player movement, teams have to be more honest with their defensive approach. As of now, Donovan’s offense does not force that honesty out of opposing defenses.
Tristan Thompson spoke about Chicago’s role players alleviating their stars after their loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
"“I think we’ve all got to look at each other and say, ‘How can I help our main guys get easier looks,” Thompson added. “Or how can we be more effective on both ends where teams are going to have to guard the role players and not just over-emphasize their game plan on those three guys?”"
The better Bulls’ defenders aren’t high-percentage 3-point shooters … and the better shooters aren’t quality defenders. Donovan is consistently undermining one aspect of the game by raising another. It is very much a lose-lose situation that only Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso can cure. Either way, finding a way to better involve his role players is a key task for Donovan moving forward, and an important one to figure out before the playoffs.