Clone's Season End Grades

[clonetrooper264]

Well we're at about season's end now, 6 games left and I don't think those games are going to do anything for my opinion so here we go.

These will be my thoughts on each individual player, you can disagree if you want, it's just opinion anyway.

Anyway, in no particular order...

Zach Lavine
Grade: D
Zack had one of his worst years this year and also filled the beginning of the season with drama with the trade request and poor play. He turned it around slightly after coming back from injury, but eventually succumbed to season ending surgery on his foot. We're now 2 seasons from when Zach was an All Star who seemed capable of averaging 50/40/90 splits. His trade value is at an all time low and so far he has done nothing to make his max contract any easier to stomach. As Bulls fans, we can only hope he comes back strong next season and rebuilds his trade value because it is highly doubtful he's going anywhere this offseason.

Demar Derozan
Grade: B
Demar pretty much did all you could ask him to this year. He started off a bit slow as did the rest of the team to start the year, but for the most part has been the Demar we'd expect at his age. Naturally, this was his worst year in a Bulls uniform, but for a guy who's been leaned on more and more over the course of the season (1st in minutes played, 6th in mpg) who is aging, you really can't ask too much more. Demar remains one of the top clutch players in the league, one of the team's top, if not the top, playmaker, and of course highest scorer. Questions remain on whether Demar will be back next year, we'll just have to wait and see. Frankly, no one needs Demar as much as the Bulls do.

Nikola Vucevic
Grade: D+
This season has been one of Vuc's worst since becoming a regular starter. His shooting percentages fell off a cliff, but he maintained his close to 17/11/3 averages. A far cry from his All Star self and only seemingly getting worse at the things he was supposed to bring to the table, hard to see his tenure in Chicago getting any better any time soon. Personally, I do think there could be adjustments made to make Vuc more effective and involved on a regular basis, but Billy won't do any of those so it's irrelevant. While his $20M/year contract enrages fans, we must remember that the contract numbers have basically doubled since the DRose era. He has his ups and downs, but it has felt like more and more downs are on the horizon for Vuc.

Coby White
Grade: A+
After a red hot December and a significant cool off in February, Coby looks poised to finish a close 2nd in MIP this year to Tyrese Maxey. While his 3pt shooting has dipped below 40% he is still at a respectable 38% on 7 attempts per game and averaging 19ppg. Also overly leaned on by Billy, Coby would probably be 2nd in minutes played behind Demar if not for Paskal Siakam landing on him. One can only imagine how he might look statistically if not for his terrible start to the year. One of the few positive aspects of this season, Bulls fans now look to see if this was just a fluke flash in the pan, or if Coby has overcome his consistency issues and will come out strong next season.

Alex Caruso
Grade: A+
Caruso is a luxury this team does not deserve to have. Despite a drop off since my midseason ratings offensively, AC is still shooting 40% from 3 and averaging career highs in basically every offensive category. Combine that with his defensive play which likely should have him in consideration for another 1st team selection, AC is the 3&D player we really don't deserve, but so desperately need. An outstanding contract value, AC remains the FO's likely highest value asset.

Patrick Williams
Grade: C
A "what could have been" season for PWill as he goes down with yet another season ending injury. Bulls fans may wonder if he could've potentially replicated his December numbers post Zach injury if he did not have injury issues himself. Now entering RFA, AKME is probably rejoicing that his injury means they can just re-sign him for less money, but who knows, maybe they overpay him anyway. Bulls could have really used him the last couple of months, that's for sure.

Ayo Dosunmu
Grade: A
Ayo has gotten better and better each month, cementing himself as leaps and bounds better than Jevon Carter. Now shooting near 40% from 3 on the season, Ayo shows himself as one of the few solid two way players on this team. He and Coby combine to make probably the league's best value backcourt to end this season. It will be interesting to see how things shake out next season when more players are theoretically healthy.

Torrey Craig
Grade: B+
Like I said in the midseason ratings, Craig pretty much does everything you'd reasonable expect him to do. Really, his only downside to me as been his inability to stay healthy. That said, at least he hasn't also been plagued with a season ending injury. For a minimum contract player, I don't see how you could really complain about much else. I'm taking a few points off my midseason grade for injury, which while not his fault per se, is still a knock against him as availability is most important.

Andre Drummond
Grade: A
A guy who is insanely efficient in limited minutes, Drummond got to showcase that he can still fill up the stat sheet in a starting role and somehow also showed he can play alongside Vuc in certain unicorn situations. A luxury of a backup big who doesn't get used enough on this team, Bulls will definitely miss him if he picks a better situation for himself next season. He is what he is, but what he does well, he excels in.

Jevon Carter
Grade: F
Somehow a MLE player became the most disappointing player of this season. His confidence all but gone now as Billy has benched him, I don't know what more to say other than shake it off and come back better next year. For what it's worth, Carter actually shoot pretty well in March (50% FG% and 38% 3pt%). He's going to have his work cut out for him to match Ayo's production and I don't see him earning a bigger role if this team is remotely healthy.

Dalen Terry
Grade: C-
If only this kid could learn how to shoot, he'd actually have the chance to be an asset on this team. He's shown flashes of being able to do pretty much everything else. On a team that half the time plays like they don't want to be there, his constant energy and excitement is nice to see. Hard to see him sticking around in the league if he can't shoot though.

Julian Phillips
Grade: B
Phillips has shown pretty decent flashes this year with freakish athleticism and more shooting promise than Dalen Terry. It's a shame he also got injured because this last stretch would have been good opportunity for him. Since January he has shot over 40% from 3, so you think this kid might have some hope.

Terry Taylor
Grade: C
Now cut from the roster in favor of Javonte Green, he's a guy who you really couldn't ask much more of. He tried.

Adama Sanogo
Grade: Incomplete
Sanogo has only managed to get onto the floor 5 times this season in garbage time, thanks to the Bulls penchant for playing close games. He's been crushing it in the GLeague though.

Onuralp Bitim
Grade: C
Bitim seemingly randomly got signed to a regular contract from a two way, but soon proved to us he could actually play a little. An irrational confidence guy, I like the shooting he theoretically brings to the team. Too bad we can't see more of him.

Javonte Green
Grade: B-
Returning to the team after 1.5 seasons of injury, Javonte made his impact felt when he finally got onto the court. A fan favorite energy guy, we know what he brings to the table and he's even made a few 3s to boot. Good on you Javonte, hope you stay healthy.

Lonzo Ball
Grade: RIP
Get well soon Zo, I hope you can play basketball again one day.

Overall team grade: C-
A team that will not reach .500 and faltered every time it got close, but will get rewarded for its mediocrity by getting "a chance" to play in the play in (and lose). Leads the league in clutch games and various clutch stats, but yet still loses a decent amount of them while continuing their trend of losing to bad teams and then randomly beating good ones. Exceedingly maddening, but yet still, sometimes, "competitive"

 

[knoxville7]

It’s nitpicking, but I don’t see how Ayo gets an A while coby and Caruso get A+

Ayo exceeded his expectations more than any player on the team

 

[clonetrooper264]

It’s nitpicking, but I don’t see how Ayo gets an A while coby and Caruso get A+

Ayo exceeded his expectations more than any player on the team

If Ayo was playing at his current level since the start (or maybe we'll say December since everyone had a terrible start) I'd give him an A+. He's gotten increasingly better each month and that is admirable, probably directly proportional to playing time. I feel like Ayo still doesn't consistently impact the game like Coby has, even though he is a two way player. It still feels like he's invisible sometimes, though of course when he's good he's very good.

In hindsight, maybe Coby just gets an A instead of A+ as his play has fallen since Siakam landed on him. I don't really want to hold that against him, but everyone who votes for MIP will so alas.

But like I said, it's just opinion. You could give Ayo an A+++ if you want

 

[Crystallas]

Coby has been injured every week. How much of it is just the lumps of playing a sport, how much is him not having the conditioning to take those lumps? If the Bulls shut him down for the remainder, and let him get treatments, that's fine by me. Protect that investment, This team isn't winning shit, even if Mr Compton busts out classic frustrate everyone DeMar for 48 minutes.

Dunno, I stopped trying to figure out the pattern with resting injured players on this team.
It's been more or less watch them limp, then watch them go through a year of recovery.

I don't know what it is with the Bulls and truly elite sports doctors. They hire above average doctors who ride out contracts so a bunch of buddy physicians at Rush can pad their resume and most of them leave the area if they are any good. At least Domb stayed in the area after leaving the Sky, a top 10 joint surgeon in the world. Shoot, they should have hire him. Nope, prolly didn't play golf with team investors.

These player's agents track these details, that's why Chicago in general(but more so, pennywise Bulls) pay more for talent. Good agents negotiate based on amenities, and to a professional athlete, fitness and recovery is the biggest ammenity you have,

 

[clonetrooper264]

Realized I missed a couple two way contracts lol

Andrew Funk
Grade: Incomplete
The only play I have seen the Bulls run to generate a catch and shoot 3 pointer in the half court was run for this guy...and he didn't shoot lol. He did get a block in the GLeague shootout with the Wizards though so good for him

Henri Drell
Grade: C+
I am giving him a C+ purely for that blocked dunk against the Wizards. I like his energy. He's got some defensive ability and length which will never get used by this team.

And of course gotta give the coach a rating

Billy Donovan
Grade: D+
There are so many things wrong with this team, but yet some oddly positive aspects. They are a top tier clutch defensive team, one of the top clutch performing teams in general, middle of the road defensive team despite many poor defenders playing large minutes, bottom tier offense despite many offensive minded players. Ultimately, you have to tie these things back to BD. It's clear he has some competency to turn this team of Caruso and a bunch of cones into a half decent defensive team, but yet all this offensive talent and they struggle to score like the Thibs era Bulls without DRose. I will give him credit for having the team not really drop off a ton despite the injuries, and probably some degree of the young players' development can be attributed to him also, but at the end of the day the team has underperformed and thus so has BD.