Should Bulls target this Timberwolves free agent in the offseason?

The Chicago Bulls are set to face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs beginning Sunday. They are entering the playoffs as the sixth seed and are coming off of disappointing end to the regular season.

Unfortunately, if we’re being realistic, the Bulls are staring down the barrel of an early exit and need to get their priorities in order with the offseason fast approaching.

Might there be an answer in Tuesday’s play-in tournament? Perhaps they can start by tuning into the Minnesota Timberwolves-Los Angeles Clippers matchup to watch a guy who would fill a very specific role.

Taurean Prince is a player who can solve Chicago’s perimeter defense puzzle. The team’s defense has been 25th in the NBA since the All-Star break. Without Lonzo Ball they have struggled to keep opposing team’s guards out of the paint, putting pressure on Nikola Vucevic to be the rim protector — and that hasn’t worked out whatsoever.

The Bulls have capable perimeter defenders on the bench, but they end up compromising the team’s offense. Troy Brown isn’t a capable slasher and is an even weaker shooter. Patrick Williams goes through passive spells where he doesn’t look to be a threat on the offensive end, despite being a lottery pick.

Prince has established himself as a 3-and-D player in the league and is a solid slasher. But let’s break this down to see if it makes sense.

The case against the Bulls acquiring Taurean Prince

Prince has had a few stops in his NBA career and managed to be a part of on-court scuffles at each stop. His defensive tenacity is naturally going to get under opposing players’ skin, but Prince has a thick history of blow-ups that raise questions about his temperament.

While passion can be good with sparking runs, it can also lead to technicals that kill momentum. This particular Bulls roster isn’t filled with fiery personalities that respond well to chippy moments. That much was evident in the team’s response to Grayson Allen. The moment Allen grabbed Caruso out of the air, the team took exception to Allen in interviews but allowed him to get busy on the court.

In their final matchup, Allen sparked a Bucks run that took the game from a two-point Bucks lead to an 18-point lead. Guys like Prince take those type of matchups personally and do anything in their power to prevent players like Allen from scoring.

The problem is when it goes too far, like Prince poking Warriors guard Juan Toscano Anderson in the forehead. Or the time Prince rushed after Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and had to be held back by four teammates because Doncic taunted him. Or even his classic explanation of how Yale out-rebounded Baylor in Prince’s final collegiate game.

The latter instance is a classic and not too problematic, but his temperament isn’t something that smoothly fits into Chicago’s team culture as is.

But then we have some positives!

The case for the Bulls going after Taurean Prince in free agency

Prince’s temper is something that the team may need. As it stands, they have too many passive players who can’t flip a game around when opposing teams go on runs. When the Bulls get hit, they fold. It happened in each loss against elite teams this season.

They don’t have a guy who regularly holds everyone accountable on the court. They got a little bit of that in Tristan Thompson, but it wasn’t enough. Since they don’t get that vocal leadership through their stars, they need role players who can bring that intensity nightly.

More than anything, they need role players who can actually execute their role. Prince shoots 38% on catch-and-shoot threes, and 50% of his shot attempts are of that variety. He’s shooting 54% on drives, with 30% of his shots coming off the dribble. This means that when he gets the ball on a kick-out, he’s either letting it fly or driving past the defense on bad close-outs. In both situations, he’s shooting well from the field.

Currently, the Bulls’ role players aren’t giving that output. Their wing defenders aren’t even looking to score on kick-outs. This has put a big load on the stars’ plate, wearing them down as the game progresses.

Prince will at least give the stars a viable kick-out. He’s also a proven defender and rebounder. Standing at 6-foot-6, Prince is versatile defender with a strong build. He has held is own against quick, small guards like Trae Young as well as bigger crafty guards like Doncic. He would instantly boost the Bulls’ defense and toughness.

Next to Ball or Caruso, teams would struggle getting paint touches against the Bulls if Prince was in the picture, making life a whole lot easier for Vucevic. Next to the star guards, he can take the other team’s best player, ball handler, or even switch onto a stretch-four.

Prince’s youth, defense, and scoring makes him a player that the Bulls should definitely target in the offseason no matter how he plays in Tuesday’s play-in tournament.