Lowe: Bulls Need a Reset (duh)

[bamainatlanta]

3. The Chicago Bulls experience (on offense)​

The Bulls are minus-77 in 242 minutes with Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan on the floor. They were minus-13 in 1,642 such minutes last season, and minus-7 in 1,206 minutes in 2021-22 -- the trio's first full season together after Chicago paid a heavy price concocting an experiment that was doomed to fail.

All three are offense-first players, but the defining trend of their union is an offense both antiquated and bad. The Bulls rank 25th in points per possession after finishing 24th and 13th in the prior two seasons. They hoist a number of long 2s that is untenable in 2023. They have been unable to duplicate whatever witchcraft lifted them to No. 5 in defensive efficiency last season. No team has allowed more 3-point attempts. Only three teams have allowed more shots at the rim. The Bulls are a two-way math disaster.

The three All-Stars diminish each other. Perhaps it's that all are score-first types -- that both DeRozan and LaVine envision themselves as lead ball handlers. Perhaps it's a collective deficit in passing -- LaVine has averaged 3.9 assists and 2.6 turnovers for his career -- exacerbated by the absence of a true point guard.

The Bulls' brass will always look back on the team's 26-10 start in 2021-22 with Lonzo Ball and wonder what might have been. Ball would organize possessions and give Chicago a fast-breaking alter ego it doesn't have access to without him.

But, come on. Ball has made zero All-Star teams and did not appear on pace to crack that conversation. DeRozan, Vucevic and LaVine have made 10 total. It is not unreasonable to expect a slightly positive scoring margin with all three playing.

The Bulls have no identity -- no tentpole ethos or style to lean upon when things get tight. Every game is littered with possessions like this:

The Bulls run one perfunctory action and then ... nothing. Time stops as if Zach LaVine is Zack Morrisand wants to break the fourth wall. Nobody moves. LaVine shrugs and heaves a standstill contested 3.

Coby White has made meaningful strides, but he's not the skeleton key. Absent that point guard type, perhaps the Bulls should just go all-in on defense, feel and toughness -- and start plus-minus machine Alex Caruso.

But that doesn't really matter beyond salvaging something from this mini-era. It's hard to find a franchise in a more depressing long-term situation. The Bulls traded Vucevic for Wendell Carter Jr. and picks that became Franz Wagner and Jett Howard. They owe the San Antonio Spurs a first-rounder via the DeRozan deal, which cancels out the lottery-protected pick they have coming (in theory) from the Portland Trail Blazers.

Patrick Williams, the highest pick of the Arturas Karnisovas/Marc Eversley era, is coming off the bench in Year 4 behind Torrey Craig. Dalen Terry, last year's first-round pick, doesn't play.


The Bulls extended Vucevic, which was fine, but if they aren't going to extend or re-sign DeRozan, it would border on mismanagement not to trade him for whatever they can get. Chicago's best path at this point might be to unload everything and tank either this season or next (what's up, Cooper Flagg!).

Lowe: The Wolves need to win big now, SGA's superstar trait and the team that nailed its in-season tournament court

Also: The Chicago Bulls have no identity on offense, Luka Doncic picking up the pace in Dallas, and what is Keldon Johnson now in San Antonio?

www.espn.com

 

[Enasic]

Keep the gang together. They’re close!

 

[bamainatlanta]

Keep the gang together. They’re close!

The incompetence of the Chicago sports organizations never ceases to amaze me

 

[clonetrooper264]

The incompetence of the Chicago sports organizations never ceases to amaze me

If ever you can rely on one thing for all Chicago sports, it's mismanagement

 

[bamainatlanta]

If ever you can rely on one thing for all Chicago sports, it's mismanagement

It’s just like the way they run the city!!

 

[OmniRedVT]

3. The Chicago Bulls experience (on offense)​

The Bulls are minus-77 in 242 minutes with Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan on the floor. They were minus-13 in 1,642 such minutes last season, and minus-7 in 1,206 minutes in 2021-22 -- the trio's first full season together after Chicago paid a heavy price concocting an experiment that was doomed to fail.

All three are offense-first players, but the defining trend of their union is an offense both antiquated and bad. The Bulls rank 25th in points per possession after finishing 24th and 13th in the prior two seasons. They hoist a number of long 2s that is untenable in 2023. They have been unable to duplicate whatever witchcraft lifted them to No. 5 in defensive efficiency last season. No team has allowed more 3-point attempts. Only three teams have allowed more shots at the rim. The Bulls are a two-way math disaster.

The three All-Stars diminish each other. Perhaps it's that all are score-first types -- that both DeRozan and LaVine envision themselves as lead ball handlers. Perhaps it's a collective deficit in passing -- LaVine has averaged 3.9 assists and 2.6 turnovers for his career -- exacerbated by the absence of a true point guard.

The Bulls' brass will always look back on the team's 26-10 start in 2021-22 with Lonzo Ball and wonder what might have been. Ball would organize possessions and give Chicago a fast-breaking alter ego it doesn't have access to without him.

But, come on. Ball has made zero All-Star teams and did not appear on pace to crack that conversation. DeRozan, Vucevic and LaVine have made 10 total. It is not unreasonable to expect a slightly positive scoring margin with all three playing.

The Bulls have no identity -- no tentpole ethos or style to lean upon when things get tight. Every game is littered with possessions like this:

The Bulls run one perfunctory action and then ... nothing. Time stops as if Zach LaVine is Zack Morrisand wants to break the fourth wall. Nobody moves. LaVine shrugs and heaves a standstill contested 3.

Coby White has made meaningful strides, but he's not the skeleton key. Absent that point guard type, perhaps the Bulls should just go all-in on defense, feel and toughness -- and start plus-minus machine Alex Caruso.

But that doesn't really matter beyond salvaging something from this mini-era. It's hard to find a franchise in a more depressing long-term situation. The Bulls traded Vucevic for Wendell Carter Jr. and picks that became Franz Wagner and Jett Howard. They owe the San Antonio Spurs a first-rounder via the DeRozan deal, which cancels out the lottery-protected pick they have coming (in theory) from the Portland Trail Blazers.

Patrick Williams, the highest pick of the Arturas Karnisovas/Marc Eversley era, is coming off the bench in Year 4 behind Torrey Craig. Dalen Terry, last year's first-round pick, doesn't play.


The Bulls extended Vucevic, which was fine, but if they aren't going to extend or re-sign DeRozan, it would border on mismanagement not to trade him for whatever they can get. Chicago's best path at this point might be to unload everything and tank either this season or next (what's up, Cooper Flagg!).

Lowe: The Wolves need to win big now, SGA's superstar trait and the team that nailed its in-season tournament court

Also: The Chicago Bulls have no identity on offense, Luka Doncic picking up the pace in Dallas, and what is Keldon Johnson now in San Antonio?

www.espn.com

You've got to face the self sabotauge theory.Why is the question yet did you notice the Torrey -Jevon preseason vibing see they're not purposefully shanking and then after a few reg. season contests the new twosome obviously joining the apathy invariably yet enough to undo last year's 40-42.Everyone knows yet only theory asks why the sabotauge?The point being Torrey and Jevon joined the scamming after starting with trusted effort proving anyone acquired seems induced to shank.Though their opponents have been shooting atypically zenith .They can't even put together a 6o point half anymore or more accuarately they refuse to.For you Einsteins that's two consecutive 30 point quarters.Bench has done the same spurting occasionally yet recently shanking.The entire roster has some petulent notion about anti victory.The last decade you take any seasons starting line up and L.A. and or the trad winners would have been wearing rings.Deny that!Yes Mr. Jordan and roster excelled yet wasting extreme talent is a sin.The drafting and acquiring has been very good going back to Forman and Paxson yet the shanking began with Butler man and continues.I remember one rookie years ago and the first preseason contest he looked over at a starter and bemusingly asked vibe wise can we win this one?He was gone the next year yet is playing decent ball elsewhere.The problem this year is the opponents are offensively peaking and consistently relentless and want the Chicago roster's continued diametric failure.Currently the Freudian leverage is as steep as its ever been.Yoachim and Rick(Rose ) didn't do this.Some of the answers reveal ego problems yet if the modern athletes really love the sport and appreciate the opportunity they'd put their petulences aside and play ball consistently.Any more roster exposition could make things worse.There is one bright optimism.They could immediately change paths and posts with such descriptions would seem moot.For God's sake children are watching.Take care and God bless the blessed!Absolutely no twisted parallels!Absolutely Straight Forward!Gary V. Giardina!This sent before 8:21 P.M. November 29th. 2023 .For accuracy's sake they stat surprisingly well yet no point production compared to teams consistently excelling offensively or at least from the second quarter on spells loss.

 

[Icculus]

You've got to face the self sabotauge theory.Why is the question yet did you notice the Torrey -Jevon preseason vibing see they're not purposefully shanking and then after a few reg. season contests the new twosome obviously joining the apathy invariably yet enough to undo last year's 40-42.Everyone knows yet only theory asks why the sabotauge?The point being Torrey and Jevon joined the scamming after starting with trusted effort proving anyone acquired seems induced to shank.Though their opponents have been shooting atypically zenith .They can't even put together a 6o point half anymore or more accuarately they refuse to.For you Einsteins that's two consecutive 30 point quarters.Bench has done the same spurting occasionally yet recently shanking.The entire roster has some petulent notion about anti victory.The last decade you take any seasons starting line up and L.A. and or the trad winners would have been wearing rings.Deny that!Yes Mr. Jordan and roster excelled yet wasting extreme talent is a sin.The drafting and acquiring has been very good going back to Forman and Paxson yet the shanking began with Butler man and continues.I remember one rookie years ago and the first preseason contest he looked over at a starter and bemusingly asked vibe wise can we win this one?He was gone the next year yet is playing decent ball elsewhere.The problem this year is the opponents are offensively peaking and consistently relentless and want the Chicago roster's continued diametric failure.Currently the Freudian leverage is as steep as its ever been.Yoachim and Rick(Rose ) didn't do this.Some of the answers reveal ego problems yet if the modern athletes really love the sport and appreciate the opportunity they'd put their petulences aside and play ball consistently.Any more roster exposition could make things worse.There is one bright optimism.They could immediately change paths and posts with such descriptions would seem moot.For God's sake children are watching.Take care and God bless the blessed!Absolutely no twisted parallels!Absolutely Straight Forward!Gary V. Giardina!This sent before 8:21 P.M. November 29th. 2023 .For accuracy's sake they stat surprisingly well yet no point production compared to teams consistently excelling offensively or at least from the second quarter on spells loss.