The Chicago Bulls are in a tough spot, as they seem determined to run back the same core, but said group isn’t quite good enough to win a championship. And to make matters worse, they may not even be good enough to guarantee a playoff spot, as they failed to reach that goal this past season.
This summer, they have a lot of holes to fill if they hope to bounce back. Chicago needs a starting point guard, as Lonzo Ball isn’t coming back anytime soon. They need forward depth, as a few youngsters aren’t going to cut it. But most of all, they need three-point shooting.
When everyone thinks of Ball’s absence, they think of the absence of a facilitator. And while that’s important, when Ball went down, the Bulls also lost their only reliable three-point specialist.
Zach LaVine can shoot threes, but he has so many other responsibilities on the court. He’s not a specialist, per see. Patrick Williams and Coby White can grow into great three-point shooters, as they showed the ability to be that last season.
But if the Bulls want to be a serious playoff team, then they need to add a three-point specialist this offseason. Someone who comes in the game, and their primary job is to take and make three-point shots.
Chicago has the talent to be a solid team in the East. LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic are all All-Star-caliber players. And their defense was solid last season. But their lack of three-point shooting made their offense a serious weakness.
With guys like Seth Curry, Donte DiVincenzo, and Georges Niang available in free agency, the Bulls should have plenty of opportunities to add three-point shooting.
If they manage to do that, they will be in a better spot next year than most people expect them to be.
