The Chicago Bulls have now dropped three straight games against the Miami Heat, capped by a 116–113 loss at home. Unfortunately for Chicago, there’s no time to reset; a back-to-back with Miami awaits in merely a day.
Still, there was a silver lining. This loss to their Eastern Conference nemesis wasn’t nearly as lopsided as the first meeting between the two teams. That 143–107 defeat remains Chicago’s worst loss of the season.
Coby White struggles at the worst moment
A three-point loss wasn’t all that bad, right? Nope. But Coby White’s performance was hard to watch. The much-discussed trade candidate finished with 14 points and eight assists, but shot 2-of-11 from the field and committed a costly late turnover.
Meanwhile, his backcourt mate and fellow trade candidate, Ayo Dosunmu, turned in one of his best games of the season. Dosunmu led the Bulls with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting and went a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Perhaps most impressive, the 6-foot-4 guard hauled in seven rebounds and dished out five assists—just the sixth time this season he’s reached double digits in combined rebounds and assists.
The juxtaposition between the two guards couldn’t have come at a more defining time, just six days before the trade deadline. Chicago has been mired in trade rumors, with Dosunmu and White at the crux of them. Both are on expiring contracts, and it’s unlikely the Bulls can re-sign both after committing four years and $100 million to Josh Giddey last offseason.
Ayo Dosunmu’s case continues to grow
Chicago has already been reported to prefer Dosunmu, who profiles as a more complementary guard alongside Giddey. Meanwhile, White’s perceived $120-plus million contract won’t be easy to stomach. As a result, it’s increasingly felt that Dosunmu is the keeper, while White could find himself in another uniform within the week.
However, White’s dynamic offensive ability is tough to overlook. The seventh-year guard had been lighting up the box score prior to two straight lackluster performances. He scored 20 or more points in five consecutive games, four of which were Bulls wins. Over that stretch, White also knocked down 26 three-pointers and dished out 26 assists.
The 25-year-old’s downhill attacking and deep-shot ability are hard to replace, especially in the Bulls’ frenetic space-and-pace offense. Still, Dosunmu provides much of the same upside and has been more consistent this season. While on lower volume, he’s shooting six percentage points higher from the field and eight points higher from three than White.
Moreover, Dosunmu is nearly matching White in transition points per game, with 4.9 compared to White’s 5.6, yet he’s more efficient, shooting 54.8 percent on transition opportunities versus White’s 48.0. He also protects the ball better, turning it over on just 8.6 percent of fast breaks compared to White’s 15.9 percent.
The contrast between the two guards couldn’t have come at a more pivotal moment. In a tightly contested game against Miami, White struggled to find his rhythm, while Dosunmu delivered an efficient, well-rounded performance. With the trade deadline just days away, the timing of that juxtaposition made the moment feel bigger than the box score.