Another rough week for Chicago Bulls fans. It began with fresh trade rumors swirling and ended with two contrasting games against the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans.
Some new names tied to the Bulls
Players such as Domantas Sabonis, Zion Williamson, and Anthony Davis have recently been linked to the Bulls. A potential Coby White trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves has also been evoked. But what would any of it actually mean for the Bulls?
Zion and AD could provide the superstar ceiling Chicago has lacked—yet their availability is the obvious red flag. Sabonis would essentially be an upgraded Nikola Vučević, and unless the Bulls can land Naz Reid from Minnesota, a White-centered package wouldn't be all that enticing.
Friday, Dec 12: 129–126 win over Charlotte Hornets
What worked:
The Bulls scored a season-high 80 points in the paint on Friday, and delivered a solid offensive performance, punctuated by a game-clinching 40-point fourth quarter. Despite not making a three in the quarter (they attempted just two), Chicago shot 59.2 percent from the field (16-of-27), turned the ball over only three times, and scored 30 points in the paint.
The double-big experiment played a major role in that success. Billy Donovan went to it in the second half, and the early returns were encouraging. After grabbing just two offensive rebounds in the first half, Chicago snatched nine of them in the second and turned them into 16 second-chance points (four in the first half). The Collins-Smith lineup also contributed to the Bulls dominating the glass, as Chicago outrebounded the Hornets 44–31 in the game.
What didn't work:
Despite the boost from the double-big look, the defense was still a problem. Charlotte shot 52.6 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from three, and Chicago just couldn't contain Miles Bridges and rookie Kon Knueppel, who combined for 65 points and shot 9-of-19 from beyond the arc.
Another big question mark is Vooch's role from now on after he didn't play at all in the fourth quarter. Despite his offense stalling a little bit lately, the issue is on the other end: he can't block shots. He has just eight blocks on the season, including a three-block game versus Utah.
Sunday, Dec. 14: 114–104 loss to New Orleans Pelicans
What worked:
There wasn't much to take away from this one for Chicago. The lone bright spot was the return of Kevin Huerter, who put up sixteen points and added four steals in 24 minutes. The perimeter defense was also respectable, holding New Orleans to 24.2 from distance.
What didn't work:
Two days after scoring 80 points in the paint, the Bulls managed only 46 against a Pelicans team that had allowed an average of 58 paint points per game over its previous five contests—the third most in the league during that span.
The offense as a whole didn't travel back from Charlotte. The Bulls shot 41.3 percent from the field, 26.5 percent from three, finishing with just 104 points and becoming only the third team to score fewer than 105 against the Pelicans this season. And despite all of that, they still had a chance in the fourth—until seven untimely turnovers turned into 10 Pelicans points and effectively sealed it for the visitors.
The Pelicans have just five wins this season. Two have come against the Chicago Bulls.