Don't look now, but the Chicago Bulls are winners of three straight games. Chicago defeated the Orlando Magic, 125-123, behind a 44-point outing from Coby White on March 6. Two days later, a Josh Giddey triple-double helped the Bulls knock off a fellow play-in team—the Miami Heat, 114-109.
Most recently, Chicago trounced the previously streaking (before Tyrese Haliburton was injured) 121-103. Giddey and White led the Bulls in scoring, dropping 29 points apiece. The emerging duo combined for 17 rebounds, eight assists, and five three-pointers.
Unfortunately for Giddey and the Bulls, the Aussie suffered an ankle injury midway through the fourth quarter. He left the game and did not return, ultimately leaving the United Center in a walking boot. Giddey has been on an absolute tear since the All-Star break, averaging 23.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists while converting 52.2 percent of his field goals and 52.5 percent of his triples.
Giddey's injury will certainly sting for the Bulls amid a three-game win streak. Compounded with Ayo Dosunmu's season-ending surgery, Chicago's backcourt is presumed to be thin for quite some time, depending on the severity of Giddey's ankle injury.
Tre Jones likely to see an increase in usage following Giddey's injury
Nonetheless, the Bulls roster a viable replacement to assume Giddey's floor general role. While he's already been thrust into a starting position with Dosunmu and Lonzo Ball on the shelf due to injury, Tre Jones has yet to take on a decent-sized role. Jones' usage rate is merely 15.6 percent in four starts—ranking ninth of 11 Bulls to appear in at least three games over the last four.
Despite being underutilized, Jones has averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and only 1.0 turnovers per game as a starter. He's converted 50.0 percent of his field goals and 50.0 percent of his three-pointers. Furthermore, he's one of five Bulls to appear in at least three games over this stretch with a positive net rating.
The Bulls are better with Jones on the floor and tend to play stellar defense with the 25-year-old guard in tow. Opponents turn the ball over 7.8 times per game with Jones on the floor as opposed to only 2.8 times when he's off—the largest swing on the roster.
On the flip side, the Bulls turnover percentage increases with Jones. However, the same statistic comes to light when dissecting fellow playmakers Giddey and Coby White's on/off contributions. What's more encouraging is the sharp increase in assist percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio whenever Jones is in the lineup. Jones is a selfless proven ball-mover, a picturesque fit in the Bulls' uptempo, free-flowing offense.
After assuming a starting role in light of injuries to Ball and Dosunmu, Jones's role won't necessarily change much with Giddey out of the rotation. The scoring burden will likely be shifted to White, although the returns of Nikola Vucevic and Patrick Williams are a boon for Chicago's offense.
Still, Jones will be relied upon to provide 30 to 35 minutes per game, with much more of his time spent as a primary playmaker. Without Ball, Dosunmu, and Giddey, Billy Donovan's sole ball handlers are Jones and White. Thus, one of the two will be on the floor at all times. However, with more responsibility comes an uptick in drives, pick-and-roll ball-handler possessions, and off-the-bounce scoring—categories in which Jones has failed to improve his efficiency with an expanded role.
All in all, Jones is a reliable veteran with nearly 300 games of NBA experience (more than Dosunmu and Giddey). If his play in recent outings is any indication, he's more than ready to step up for and fill in for the injured Giddey, no matter the number of games he misses.