2022–23 Bulls Player Previews: Backcourt
The Bulls enter the 2022–23 season with a group of guards that can best be described as variety. You have a proven star that was just locked up, a very good player who just wants to be healthy enough, a couple of reliable veterans and young players who are looking to prove themselves. Basically, if you’re looking for any type of player known to exist, the Bulls’ backcourt is the place to find them.
In addition to the variety of guards, each one of them is intriguing in their own way. Take a look at this list and say you wouldn’t want to find out more about any of them. Billy Donovan will have his hands full trying to balance them all out, especially once everyone is healthy. Fortunately, that’s a good problem to have, albeit the solution of which could determine how far the Bulls go this season.
Here is the Bulls’ backcourt for the coming year:
Zach LaVine
LaVine got paid this summer and deservedly so. That five-year, $215 million contract was a long time coming for the two-time All-Star who is the Bulls’ best player in a perfect world. The main questions for him will be whether he can recapture his status as the true top scoring option and if he steps up as enough of a leader that the Bulls can go even further than they did last season. While it would be nice to see some improved defense on his part, you can’t be picky with a player who has this much talent and simply can’t be replaced, which is why the Bulls locked him up.
Lonzo Ball
Ball’s latest surgery hopefully finally addressed what has been bothering him since January, which was debris caught up in a nerve if his father is to be believed. We don’t know when or if Ball can be of use this season, but any significant presence on his part will cause people to rethink the Bulls’ ceiling. His court vision can’t be matched by anyone else on the team, and if he can rejoin the Bulls in time for the playoff push, you could argue that the sky’s the limit. He’s as close to a two-way player that the Bulls have, and those are valued more than ever in today’s NBA.
Coby White
If any Bull needs to have a good season in the worst way, it’s White. The combo guard is in the final year of his rookie contract, and if his pending restricted free agency doesn’t serve as motivation, nothing will. This is a player who has all the tools to succeed on a winning team, but the inconsistency over the course of his first three seasons has maddened Bulls fans to no end. It would help to see him come through in big moments while maintaining his double-digit scoring average because that will be a sign that he belongs on a quality basketball team.
Ayo Dosunmu
The Chicago native arguably was the Bulls’ best story last season after DeMar DeRozan. The Second Team All-Rookie selection became the starting point guard after Ball went out, and Donovan has trusted him with those keys again, at least until Ball can get healthy. The league will be more familiar with Dosunmu in his second season, so he’ll have to adjust to the new ways opponents will play him. He can do anything on the court, and he’s young enough to hang with whatever the league has to offer, so his value can’t be overstated.
Goran Dragic
Ball’s continued uncertainty made shoring up the depth at point guard a priority for the Bulls, and they did just that by signing Dragic. At 36 years old, his game has started to decline, but he doesn’t need to be who he was in his prime. Running the offense and a few points and assists while the younger players need a rest will do. The fact that he’s one of the players Bulls fans have the most questions about should mean the team is in pretty good shape.
Alex Caruso
Caruso’s energy, especially on defense, is unmatched by anybody on the Bulls, and it’s no wonder Lakers fans still aren’t happy that their team gave him up. The Bulls are a different team whenever he’s on the court because he elevates everyone else game with the things he does. Plus, opponents hate to play against him because they know exactly what he’s capable of, and it generally doesn’t end well for them. As Grayson Allen showed everyone last year, the only way to neutralize him might be to literally knock him out.
Dalen Terry
Terry is a rookie that many people have high hopes for. The first-round selection out of Arizona didn’t receive a lot of pre-draft hype compared to a lot of his peers. Still, the preseason provided Bulls fans a glance into what he can be, which is an athletic, versatile guard capable of allowing the other players on the floor a chance to shine. There’s no doubt folks will be watching and hoping that he becomes the second straight Bulls rookie to come out of almost nowhere and force people to notice him.
