Without Josh Giddey in the lineup, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back by 12 points. The Bulls, led by another Coby White scoring outburst, won 128-116. White dropped 35 points and converted 13-of-14 free throw attempts. The 25-year-old guard has now scored 20-plus in 11 straight contests.
White didn't have the only standout performance against the Kings. Nikola Vucevic was two assists shy of his seventh career triple-double. The 6-foot-10 big man scored 24 points, snatched 14 rebounds, and added eight assists. Following several subpar shooting games, Vooch went 9-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Kevin Huerter and Tre Jones have exceeded expectations
Rounding out the 20-point scorer, former King Kevin Huerter finished with 25 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. 25 points and seven assists were Bulls' career-highs for Huerter. The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter drilled 5-of-9 triples and 10-of-16 field goals overall. Although he's not known for his defense, Huerter has continued to put his defensive activity on display. The Maryland product recorded four steals—a season-high.
Lastly, Tre Jones played well once again. Jones and high-level impact are practically synonymous at this point. The 6-foot-1 floor general has reached double-digits in the scoring column for six straight contests. Jones' stellar 5.83 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks seventh in the NBA amongst players to participate in at least 10 games in March.
Huerter and Jones' impressive performances have come while Lonzo Ball has been out of the lineup and, most recently, without Giddey. Jones replaced Ball in the starting lineup and has averaged 14.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.2 steals as a starter. He's also shot 57.3 percent from the floor and 57.1 percent from three-point range.
Huerter has grown accustomed to a sixth-man role but was recently thrust into the starting lineup following Giddey's ankle injury. He's started six games for the Bulls and five in a row. As a starter, Huerter averages 17.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.8 three-pointers per game at a 45.1 percent clip. The 26-year-old has been far more impactful as a starter, averaging 5.2 more points and shooting 17.1 percent better from the floor.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. While Huerter retained his spot in the opening unit upon Giddey's one-game return from his injury, he'll likely go back to the bench once Giddey is fully healthy. Despite suffering what appeared to be a severe ankle sprain, Giddey returned after a three-game absence to drop 22 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists off the pine. The Aussie converted 10-of-15 field goals and 2-of-4 triples. He only turned the ball over once.
Giddey missed Chicago's bout with Sacramento but is expected to suit up against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 22. Whenever Giddey returns, Billy Donovan will move Huerter back to the bench, a role in which he struggled with efficiency. Nonetheless, it must be done, Giddey has been playing exceptionally well and is on the books for a new contract in the offseason.
The Bulls will have to decide between Ball, Huerter, and Jones
There's an argument that could be made that Huerter should take the spot of Jones in the starting five. However, Jones has held a starting spot for most of the month and has exceeded expectations in the opening unit. He's played at least 30 minutes in every game he's started. Donovan has seemed to lock Jones into the starting lineup.
With Giddey and Jones locks, the only three starters left to usurp are White, Vucevic, and Matas Buzelis. White is a surefire starter, and so is Vucevic (even though Zach Collins has been more impactful). Thus, leaving Buzelis. The rookie has been hit-or-miss as of late, scoring 10 points over his last two contests. However, at 20-years-old, that's to be expected. Competing against opponents' starters is crucial for the rookie's development as the season winds down.
There's no room for Huerter to retain his starting position once Giddey is fully healthy. He'll have to resume his sixth-man role. To further muddy the waters, Jones's starting role may also come to an end soon. Ball has missed nine consecutive games as he's dealt with a wrist sprain. Fortunately, Ball is expected to return to the lineup in the coming days, with March 27 as a target date.
Ball likely won't immediately start once he's healthy. However, after a game or two, Donovan might replace Jones with Ball in the starting five. The 6-foot-6 guard started in 13 straight games before suffering with his most recent injury. Like Huerter and Jones, Ball has performed better as a starter. He's averaged 4.0 more points and shot better from the field and three-point range when he opens games.
While he's scored better, Ball's shooting efficiency isn't all that much better, and his assist numbers go down when he starts games. The silver lining is that Ball could assume a bench role once he returns. The decision to bench Ball isn't as difficult as Huerter or Jones. The latter two have performed much better alongside White and Co. All in all, Donovan is in for a difficult decision once the Bulls are healthy.