Here we are approaching the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 9 and it’s just not working for the Bulls. They have been the MC Skat Cat of the NBA since January 2022: Two steps forward, two steps back.
That might be too old of a reference, but those who get it, well, get it. The Bulls have had games where you can trick yourself into thinking they could win a playoff series — with the right matchup. Then there are games when you watch them play and wonder if they deserve to be in the play-in tournament.
This team has a collection of talented players. The problem is that they’re flawed in ways that don’t complement the rest of the team. DeMar DeRozan has been a breath of fresh air for the Bulls franchise. He’s smart, tough, resourceful and not afraid of the big moment. His flaw is that his game can’t work unless he’s on a team with consistent three-point shooting.
DeRozan deserves his moniker of “King of the Mid-Range.” He’s proved that he can get to a spot, pump-fake a defender and score. If this were the ’90s, he’s unstoppable. Alas, while DeRozan works his butt off to get two-point buckets, Bulls’ opponents come back and shoot threes. Bad exchange rate.
Zach Lavine has superstar talent. He’s fun to watch and there’s not many things he can’t do offensively. His flaw is that he’s still figuring out that having a max contract doesn’t automatically make you a max player. Late-game situations have haunted him this season, with costly turnovers and bad decisions in the moments when the Bulls can’t afford it.
Nikola Vucevic is an ideal “Big” in the modern game. Sure, he can play in the post, but his game is diverse enough that he can step outside, extend a defense and hit an occasional three. His flaw is that he’s not as good on the defensive end and still needs others to put him in a position to succeed.
Theoretically, you have three All-Star-caliber players. Practically, the styles haven’t meshed. And coach Billy Donovan has a hard time getting this team to mesh their games consistently. If we count the playoff series against Milwaukee, the Bulls have been below .500 since last January. Which brings me to one of the bigger Bulls issues.
It’s no secret part of the Bulls second-half collapse last season had to do with Lonzo Ball getting injured. He’s supposed to be the guy that makes this whole thing work. His mysterious knee injury must be as frustrating as hell for him and I’m sure he’s thinking beyond just his Bulls contract and about his NBA survival.
It doesn’t look like he’s going to make a triumphant comeback this season. That means the Bulls have some hard decisions ahead.
With the current roster of active players, what’s the best possible scenario? Bulls fight their way out of the bottom of the play-in portion of the Eastern Conference and end up as a sixth seed? That’s probably the rosiest picture I can paint and it still doesn’t scream contender to win the conference.
Vooch will be a free agent at the end of the season and DeRozan can exit a year later. This was the time DeRozan’s ability to get buckets was supposed to be maximized. And it doesn’t look like this roster is going to be able to do that.
There are no good answers. Any trade the Bulls complete will make this group worse, but it’s not like they’ve earned the right to go out on their shields. After a year and half, this squad looks like the first half of last season was the outlier. Who they’ve been since is reality.
It would also be nice to hear honestly what Bulls management thinks is the path forward, but they’ve been harder to get on the record than Prince when he changed his name.
It’s been an ugly, mostly frustrating and often boring season. Last season, we thought: Who could the Bulls add to put them on par with teams like Milwaukee? Unfortunately, we’ve returned to the place where we wonder which one of the good, likable players the Bulls must trade to start rebuilding, again.
You can hear Laurence Holmes talk Chicago sports Monday to Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on 670 The Score with Dan Bernstein.
