The Chicago Bulls were officially eliminated from the Eastern Conference first round by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was the series MVP, carrying the Bucks in each game. The Bulls found some success in getting Antetokounmpo in foul trouble, but the Bucks’ role players were able to keep the team afloat when Antetokounmpo wasn’t on the floor.
Grayson Allen and Bobby Portis arguably played the biggest role in sending Chicago home, with both having big games when the Bulls found a shred of momentum. The Bulls’ role players, led by Coby White and Patrick Williams, weren’t able to match the Bucks’ bench, while the stars couldn’t touch Antetokounmpo.
The Bulls’ 2021-2022 season will be remembered as the season of “what ifs.” The team looked phenomenal when close to full strength, but crumbled in the second half when they started to deal with internal strife.
They never were able to get Lonzo Ball and Patrick Williams rolling on the court at the same time, and their second option played the entirety of the second half of the season on one leg. Zach LaVine’s and Ball’s knees arguably derailed the year for Chicago.
The fact still remains that both players have a history of injury problems, while the role players may not be championship-caliber complementary guys.
The what-ifs may deter some roster adjustments, but there are three players who definitely should not return to Chicago next season.
3. Derrick Jones Jr.
The Bulls had zero perimeter defense when Ball, Williams and Alex Caruso were out. And even with Caruso and Williams, the Bulls’ perimeter defense was average at best. To worsen the situation, Williams’ aggressiveness fluctuated each game. One night he was an offensive threat and looking like a lottery pick. Another night he refused to be aggressive on offense and handicapped the Bulls on that end of the floor.
Derrick Jones Jr. was supposed to be that defensive stopper who can hit open shots. Unfortunately for Chicago, he wasn’t. His shot never took form. His defense was solid, however. He had stretches in the season where he was one of the Bulls’ best defenders and even stepped up to be the team’s leading shot blocker in February.
His knee began to give him issues in the second half of the season. His lateral quickness declined and he fell out of the rotation. Granted, one can argue that he should’ve still been in the rotation even with his defense not being as effective. His defense, even at 50%, was better than what Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu offered. His offense, however, was awful. Billy Donovan chose to go with the young guards for their scoring and because they were the big-name draft picks.
Jones Jr. is a specialty player whose health limited him mightily. Then again, he’s replaceable and therefore should be let go in the offseason for a potential upgrade.