Roundtable With Bulls Experts From Around the Web, Part III
The Bulls have decided they’re done messing around. They already had a quality front office and a respected coach, but besides Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, high-caliber players were lacking. That all changed this offseason, and while there still is time to add pieces, the main faces of the 2021–22 Bulls are in place barring another big move. Here to talk about the upcoming season are five internet Bulls experts we’ve hosted in the past, and they all know their stuff:
FP — “See Red” Fred Pfeiffer, Chicago Bullseye
LM — Luis Medina, Bleacher Nation Bears
RP — Ryan Piers, Alternative Press
DM — Darnell Mayberry, The Athletic Chicago
VV — Vijay Vemu, Blog a Bull
- How can Zach LaVine’s Olympic experience impact both him and the Bulls?
FP: Zach undoubtedly will follow in the long line of players who have benefited from the Olympic experience. Kevin Durant is the best player in the NBA today. Watching an elite player like Durant practice, prepare, and play in meaningful games can only benefit Zach. LaVine has improved every season he’s played in Chicago, and I expect him to take another jump this year (although I expect his scoring to dip to 23 to 25 points a game) after implementing what he learned in Tokyo, passing older and declining players like Jimmy Butler and Paul George, into the elite “top-15” status of NBA players today.
In terms of affecting the Bulls, several beat writers have shared with me how personable and likeable Zach is. This “likeablity” factor is essential in recruiting others, and the sheer force of Zach’s magnetic personality has undoubtedly contributed to the signings of free agents in (DeRozan) or entering (Ball) their prime. It is exciting to see a player like Zach endear himself to current and developing starters, while other great players only seem able to recruit fading 35-year olds.
LM: From an on-court perspective, it can’t hurt to have real-life playing experience with (and against) the world’s best players. Not only from a place of “steel sharpens steel” with in-game competition, but the stuff that happens on the side where guys work on their games. I’d be surprised if LaVine didn’t come back with a couple of new tricks he learned from his teammates.
As for the Bulls, I think we’re already seeing the narrative shift about who this team is and what they’re about. Having an Olympic gold medalist sure helps matters.
RP: With a pair of drive-and-distribute players (Ball and DeRozan) now on the roster, LaVine will see more off-the-ball opportunities from the perimeter. He had a chance to sharpen his catch-and-shoot skills and become more comfortable in that role on the Olympic team. Yes, LaVine will still spend plenty of time with the ball in his hands. But an improved roster presents him more chances to score away from the ball. His Olympic experience will help.
DM: I certainly can’t explain it any better than DeMar DeRozan, also an Olympic gold medalist. “First and foremost, just being around the greatest players in the world, being amongst the group of the greatest players in the world, the greatest minds, the greatest coaches,” DeRozan said. “It does something (subconsciously) to you that gives you the ultimate confidence, the ultimate work ethic, makes you realize that you belong in the elite category of guys. And that carries over to the season.”
LaVine never lacks confidence. But we’ve all been there. Not on the Olympic stage like LaVine, of course. But think back to pick-up games at the park. You stepped on the court with more bravado when you knew you had a crew. Before the Olympics, LaVine never had a crew. Before Tokyo, he would take on anyone, taking the court with his head high and his chest puffed out. He knew he’d get his, and no one could stop him. Tokyo, I’d imagine, gave LaVine his first taste of that in the team construct.
VV: It certainly doesn’t hurt LaVine to get more on the court experience playing in big-time games/moments. He was able to keep sharpening his skills over the summer, and it’s one way of improving your game. LaVine showed a lot of nice flashes in his play during the Olympics and had some amazing in-game dunks, as well. This is just the first step in what is expected to be a big year for him.
As for off the court, it’s good to establish relationships with other top players. It certainly helps the public outlook on the franchise when their best player is a gold medalist. Who knows? Maybe the relationships he’s built during this summer can come in handy one day when trying to convince free agents to join the Bulls.
2. With Nikola Vucevic in Chicago for a full season, how will that constant presence benefit the returning players?
FP: Before Vucevic arrived, Zach was the only Bull to consistently demand double-teams, and it was frustrating to watch the inability to punish the “Double Zach” strategy. Only Thad Young in the high post really took advantage of a double on Zach, and he rarely started before Vucevic’s arrival. Nikola is good enough to sometimes require the opposition to send another defender. It’s no coincidence that Coby White thrived after his arrival, playing significantly better as an off-ball third option. In the limited time they played together, the Zach-Vucevic pick and roll yielded many good shots for teammates. With the addition of offensive talent like DeRozan and Ball, the Bulls have exponentially improved their chances to punish a defense focused on LaVine. Vucevic’s ability to hit the 3 at a 40-percent rate is also imperative for maximizing lanes for Zach-DeRozan-White-Williams to attack the rim.
LM: I’m not totally sure what a full season of Vucevic does for the returning players because there are so many new faces. It’ll take some time for everyone to gel and get on the same page. But, all things considered, Vucevic’s presence gives the Bulls options on how to deploy their new collection of talent. And I don’t think we’ll see those lulls of struggle when Zach leaves the court because of the presence of Vucevic and other newcomers.
RP: It’s a long season. Guys get hurt, take games off and go through slumps. Having an extra 20-plus-points-a-game scorer who gobbles rebounds only helps when their best wings aren’t sharp. There will be nights where LaVine and DeRozan shoot poorly, and Vooch will do the heavy lifting. He’ll probably win him a couple games while absorbing double teams, freeing up space for teammates.
DM: My first thought is, “There aren’t many returning players.” And that’s probably for the best. We’ll see. But the official number is six, including two-way contract player Devon Dotson. LaVine, Patrick Williams and Coby White are the big three. Troy Brown Jr. and Javonte Green are the other two.
So for the primary three who’ll receive the most playing time, LaVine, Williams and White, Vucevic will be a trusted offensive threat. Remember when the Bulls began last season attempting to run offense through Wendell Carter Jr.? It largely led to missed shots, turnovers and chaos. Vooch provides stability. He can bail out the offense with a bucket on one possession or find the open man with the proper pass on another. He’s a reliable weapon. Bulls coach Billy Donovan once said he makes everyone around him better. Now, Vooch gets to do it for a full season in Chicago.
VV: It will certainly help as it’s another set of games where he will develop chemistry with guys like LaVine and Patrick Williams. However, there are a lot of new faces which is exciting but also will bring some growing pains as guys get acclimated to playing with each other. The Bulls had such a big roster overhaul that while a full season of Vucevic will help strengthen the bond between the guys that were here last year, how he fits with the new pieces in Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan is worth watching more.
3. What will Lonzo Ball provide at point guard that the Bulls have been missing?
FP: Lonzo has special abilities as a point guard in the open floor, and I love his ability to push the ball and pass in transition. For the Bulls, however, I expect him to reprise his role in New Orleans and play more often with the starters off-ball in the half-court (Zion Williamson often played the point in New Orleans) feasting on open looks at the 3-point line due to the play-making ability of DeRozan. I suspect Lonzo’s growth in the half court as a point guard was stunted by truly embarrassing numbers as a free-throw shooter early during his first few years. This inability to hit free throws at an acceptable rate kept him out of the paint and on the perimeter, negating some of his tremendous passing skills. Massive improvements in his free-throw shooting lead me to believe he can improve in this aspect of his game, but I expect the majority of what one would consider “half court point guard actions” to be handled by DeMar next season.
LM: I don’t want to put the cart ahead of the horse, but I think Lonzo brings what the Bulls have been missing and more. His signing brings some credibility to a front office of a franchise that is known for failing to land high-profile free agents. On the court, Ball is the type of distributor and ball-handler LaVine has needed to play with because he isn’t going to chuck “my turn” shots for the sake of it. And he is also the type of defender who really brings it all together. In other words, Ball’s arrival helps on multiple levels.
RP: He checks all the boxes: Perimeter defender, distributor and a developing, potentially All-Star talent. He was the perfect pick-up. But you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?
DM: Vision. A lot has been made of how he hasn’t been a traditional playmaker. But it seems Ball sees himself as such and believes he hasn’t had the opportunity, structure or stability to acclimate to and thrive in that role. He wants it in Chicago, and time will tell if he can deliver.
What we know is he’s the best passer the Bulls have had in a long time. He’ll see windows and thread passes that point guards the Bulls have tried in recent years couldn’t. He’ll lead fast breaks and find the right teammate at the right time in transition, resulting in easy points the Bulls should feast on. And defense. Opinions vary on Ball’s effectiveness as an on-ball defender. Some think he’s overrated in that regard. But even his on-ball critics credit him for his off-ball impact. If he can continue his progression as a 3-point shooter, Ball gives the Bulls a lead guard who can pass, shoot and defend. That’s something they haven’t had.
VV: Lonzo looks like he will have a distributor role at the point guard spot, something which the Bulls haven’t had in a long time. He won’t be one of the main scoring options on this team and nor should he be. That won’t be his role. He will be more of a guy who finds shots for others and helps keep the ball moving on offense. His passing ability is well talked about and rightly so. He’s an amazing passer, and it will generate open looks for this Bulls offense. Lonzo has also massively improved as a 3-point shooter throughout his career as well, which means teams can’t ignore him when he’s off the ball on the perimeter. He will bring some scoring to this Bulls team but his main contribution should be his passing.
4. Will DeMar DeRozan have to continue to be the scoring machine he has in the past, or will his role on the Bulls be different?
FP: In his final media session to end the 2021 season, one of problems Arturas Karnisovas highlighted was the Bulls’ inability to get to the free-throw line. The Bulls were dead last as a team in free-throw attempts a game, averaging only 17.5. DeRozan was eighth in the league with 7.27 free-throw attempts a game. DeRozan’s acquisition alone will address this deficiency. DeMar also was 11th in the NBA in assists a game last season, and I expect him to take on more “point guard” responsibilities in the half-court, playmaking and passing to optimize opportunities for others. I expect his scoring to take a slight dip to the 18-to-21 range, simply because of the myriad of offensive weapons found throughout the Red Leviathan roster.
LM: I think we’ll see DeRozan score less, but perhaps we’ll see him score more efficiently. The Bulls of recent vintage have struggled to get to the charity stripe, which is something DeRozan can do at a proficient clip. For me, it’s less about how much DeRozan scores and more about how he gets his buckets and when.
RP: Efficiency will be the key for not only DeRozan, but the other top scorers on the Bulls. When you have three guys with the ability to score more than 20 points a game, you can be more selective about shot selection. So they better be good. I’d rather DeRozan score in the teens with his highest efficiency numbers of his career rather than score a sloppy 22 or 23 a night.
DM: I see him as more of a facilitator similar to what he was in San Antonio. I think that’s who he is at this stage of his career. Not that he can’t score 20 a night. Because he can. It’s just he’s also going to be smarter and chip in five or six assists a game, too, which is what he’s done the past four seasons.
DeRozan no longer has to be a scoring machine. With LaVine and Vucevic by his side, he can sit back and pick his spots. He’ll have moments where he takes over in the fourth quarter with his scoring, no doubt. But the Bulls, because of the way they’ve rebuilt, don’t need him to supply that nightly. That’s a good thing for DeRozan.
VV: I think DeMar’s role will be slightly different with the Bulls than the other roles he’s had in the past. He still will be a main scoring option, but with LaVine and Vucevic, he won’t have to carry the offense. He won’t have to be a scoring machine and put up crazy numbers. Instead, he can opt to score more efficiently now given he has other guys on the floor with him who can get you points. Also, he can help improve the Bulls’ free-throw attempt numbers as well as get into the lane and draw contact. He will get a chance to flash his playmaking skills, as well, as teams will tend to crash in to stop him, leaving other Bulls open.
5. Alex Caruso is expected to provide a defensive boost off the bench, but what will he do on offense?
FP: Alex shot a superb 40.1 percent from 3 on 137 attempts last season. On a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, open looks were plentiful. I’d like to see him reprise that role offensively on a team loaded with offense talent. Alex just needs to hit open 3s and play exceptional defense.
I ran into Caruso at O’Hare International Airport a few weeks ago. I’ve met many players over the years, and I’ve often been surprised that some players were much closer to my height (6 feet) than expected (i.e. Kirk Hinrich). In Caruso’s case, however, he was much taller than I expected — I’d say he was a legit 6-foot-5. The Lakers allowed Caruso to leave in a cost-cutting move. Every Lakers fan I spoke with (and I unfortunately know a legion of them) was disappointed in his departure, and all argued that he would be beloved in Chicago. I concur, but it will be due to his fantastic defense, not his offense.
LM: Whatever Caruso did in Los Angeles should be what he does in Chicago in terms of being a down-ballot scoring option when others being focused on allow him to be open from beyond the arc.
RP: Make open shots, and that’s it. I think pundits are sleeping on the Bulls’ perimeter defense. I’m fine if they get eaten up in the paint, but the reshaped backcourt needs to lock up the arc. Caruso is a big part of that.
DM: All the little things. He’s a better version of Ryan Arcidiacono: Taller, more talented and more athletic. Arcidiacono probably is the more natural conductor — a player who largely will play mistake-free basketball while orchestrating the offense. Caruso offers more versatility. He can play on or off the ball, knock down open shots, attack the rim, and make his presence felt in transition.
But when the Bulls need someone to dive for a loose ball, Caruso will answer the bell. When the offense necessitates an extra pass, or a big shot, or a massive second-chance rebound, or any other timely play, don’t be surprised if Caruso routinely supplies it.
VV: Just hit open shots. His main thing will be defense anyways. Caruso will be open for 3-point looks via kick-out opportunities, so his role on offense will just be to make those types of looks at a solid rate.
6. How will the Bulls find minutes for Ayo Dosunmu on a roster that not only has loaded up on talent, but is guard-heavy?
FP: Ayo is a stud, and I expect this second-round pick to be another home run for Arturas, whose reputation was built on finding difference makers in round two. In the COVID-19 era, adequate depth is imperative, because few teams can expect to remain untouched by the virus. Teams like the Knicks were incredibly fortunate with health, while teams like the Bulls suffered down the stretch. The Bulls now are better positioned to endure absences of key players. Ayo represents a significant upgrade over Boylen-era “try-hard” but tiny holdovers like Ryan Arcidiacono. Although some fans preferred that the Bulls get smaller with the 165-pound Shariff Cooper in the draft, time wounds all heels, and those complaints about “Ayo over Cooper” will sink in the sea of embarrassment, just as they did with the Dennis Smith Jr.
LM: I think it’s more important for Ayo to play his way into minutes than it is for the Bulls to find him minutes. If Dosunmu can earn his playing time, then the minutes will come.
RP: I have two Skip Bayless-like takes that I refuse to let go of: Fans should cheer for their local teams, and great college players should be, at least, good in the pros, or something is wrong with the system. College prepares us to be professionals, whether that’s medicine, sports or being an arborist. The playing styles should be similar enough where one translates into the other. Otherwise, why use college basketball to prep for the NBA at all? Ayo was great in college. If he is not good in the NBA, the playing styles of the leagues need to be examined.
DM: They won’t. He’s a feel-good story, a local product who represents hope for so many in Chicago. But he doesn’t appear to be ready for regular-season games. If the Bulls are desperate for defense, I suppose they could turn to Dosunmu rather than Javonte Green. But Dosunmu’s defense isn’t good enough yet to justify his offensive limitations. And if the Bulls are relying on a second-round pick for defense, what does that say about this offseason’s rebuilding efforts?
VV: With Coby White out, Ayo may get some game action to start the season, and that will be the real litmus test to see if he’s ready to be in the guard rotation or not. Chicago now is guard-heavy, and a lot of the minutes will already be taken up by Lonzo, Caruso, and LaVine. It’s up to Ayo to battle it out with Javonte Green to see where he fits in the rotation this season. It’s possible he doesn’t play much this season given the Bulls’ depth on the perimeter.
7. What will Billy Donovan be able to accomplish in his second season with the Bulls that he wasn’t able to in his first?
FP: The simple and most obvious answer is consistent winning. The Bulls are going to be significantly better, but unfortunately, so is the East. I’m a massive fan of Billy as a coach, communicator, leader and person. In 2015, Joakim Noah called Billy “the best coach that I ever had”, even though Noah played for the more celebrated media and meatball favorite, Tom Thibodeau. The Noah endorsement is good enough for me.
I also appreciate how Donovan was willing to sacrifice December/January wins for the long-term development of key young players. Patrick Williams struggled mightily at times last season, and this was reflected in a plus/minus of minus 292. More celebrated and “award-winning” coaches would have relegated the rookie to the end of the bench and moved Thad Young to 36 to 38 minutes a game. But Billy sacrificed regular-season wins for the bigger picture, and last season’s consistent minutes for Williams will benefit and expedite his development in 2021–22.
LM: It’s as simple as this: A winning team that is watchable.
RP: Winning and making the playoffs is №1. Facilitating chemistry and developing the young talent are Nos. 2 and 3, but will likely be the case if number one happens.
DM: Making the playoffs. Isn’t that the goal here? (No, a championship is not the goal this season.) The Bulls should have made the playoffs last season after acquiring Vucevic from Orlando. Well-documented unfortunate circumstances down the stretch last season prevented that from happening. This year, there are no excuses.
The Bulls have had a full offseason. They will have a full training camp. And they’ll have more than one practice, which was their so-called undoing in the aftermath of the Vucevic trade and a failed playoff berth.
But Donovan finally receives some consistency. He arrived in Chicago after seeing his Oklahoma City teams change year over year. Then, the Bulls swapped five players on him in midseason and forced him to adjust on the fly. This season, Donovan will get some long-awaited stability. So I can’t wait to see what he does with it.
VV: It’s a simple answer, but it’s the right one in my opinion. Billy Donovan will look to win more games with the Bulls this season given that he now has a better roster than last year. Chicago made so many upgrades at different positions over the past 12 months. Now that he has a better team, it’s now up to Donovan to make all of this work in terms of rotations and scheme. He certainly has more to work with this year than he did last season.
8. What are the best- and worst-case scenarios for the Bulls in the 2021–22 season?
FP: The acquisitions and draft picks of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley have raised the floor for this Bulls team, but the ceiling primarily will be determined by three players who were already on the roster to start the 2020 season: Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Coby White. The best-case scenario for next season would involve the following:
- Zach takes another jump to become a top-10 or top-15 player in the NBA, surpassing players like Jimmy Butler and Paul George.
- Patrick Williams harnesses his immense talent to become a true difference-maker on the DEFENSIVE end.
- Coby White becomes one of the best players off the bench in the league, garnering “Sixth Man of the Year” votes, and potentially winning the trophy.
The most important piece will be the improvement of Patrick Williams on the defensive end. Although he showed flashes of greatness (Google “Williams block on Ayton”), Williams was almost always overmatched on the defensive end, which is exactly what one would expect from a 19-year old rookie. His inability to consistently play solid off-ball defense and box-out opponents was a major reason for poor starts last year, but only a fool would deny the considerable raw athletic talent of Williams. He will be the fifth option on offense, and he won’t be asked to do much on that end, outside of hitting wide-open 3s and attacking the rim for offensive boards. The Bulls are depending on his defense, and improvement on that end will be imperative for a truly great season.
The “worst-case” scenarios all include injuries to key players, and for a decade, the Bulls have led the league in fulfilling those “worst-case” scenarios. From 2011 to 2018, LeBron James won eight straight Eastern Conference titles. During these years, there was only one legitimate and consistent threat to his reign: the Chicago Bulls. For the first seven of those seasons, the Bulls produced more wins than every Eastern Conference team but the Heat. During the playoffs, however, the Bulls suffered an unprecedented five essentially season-ending injuries to five different key starters: Derrick Rose in 2012, Joakim Noah in 2012, Luol Deng in 2013, Pau Gasol in 2015, and Rajon Rondo in 2017. All of these injuries occurred with the Bulls either tied or winning their playoff series. All occurred in Round 1, with the notable exception of Gasol’s injury, which occurred with the Bulls, up, 2–1, vs. LeBron’s Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 conference semifinals. That stretch of playoff injuries can only be described as a basketball tragedy. Some of our fans responded to this tragedy with greater love and devotion, some with frustration, but most responded with anger. The unfortunate spate of injuries have continued throughout the rebuild, with key pieces missing significant time during their development. It is statistically improbable for this kind of bad luck to continue.
Seventh pick in 2017, seventh pick in 2018, seventh pick in 2019, Seven letters in Arturas-Donovan-Patrick-DeRozan-Vucevic-Michael-Scottie, Seven playoff wins in 2022, Seventh title in 2023. If you add up two plus zero plus two plus three…you get seven. A group of scientists from the University of NE Idaho have found my tweets to be accurate 93 percent of the time, so you should take solace that the numbers are in our favor. Godspeed.
LM: Best-case scenario has the Bulls taking some time to gel, playing .500 ball early, then using a second-half surge to land in the fourth or fifth seed. Worst-case scenario has this team struggling to find traction and ending up as the seventh or eighth seed. It would mark an improvement over what we’ve seen in recent years, but disappointment considering our high hopes.
RP: Best-case scenario is the Bulls’ offense is as good as we expect it to be, they shut down teams on the perimeter and stay healthy enough to make a deep playoff run. Worst-case, their horrendous November schedule sinks them early and they struggle to earn a spot in the play-in game.
DM: Best case? Fifty wins. Worst case? Forty.
It seems foolish to expect a Phoenix Suns or Atlanta Hawks-like rise out of the Bulls. If they win 50 games and make it to the second round, they will have overachieved in my book. If they win 45 games and lose in the first round, I’ll say they pretty much did what they should have done. But if they finish under .500 for the fifth straight season and miss the playoffs, that will undoubtedly be the worst-case scenario.
VV: Best-case scenario is that the Bulls finish as the fourth seed in the East and host a Game 1 of an opening-round playoff series. LaVine takes another leap and the other free-agent additions prove to be key pieces in a playoff push. Chicago then wins their first round series, pushes one of the better East teams to seven games, and who knows from there? Maybe even a run to the conference finals like the Hawks from last year could be in cards.
Worst-case scenario is that their defensive liabilities are too great for their offense to overcome and the wheels fall off halfway through the season, leading to a play-in game finish at ninth or 10th place in the East.
