Mokoka-Mania, Dunn’s Uncertainty, How Realistic Is Presti? And Other Bulls Bullets

Is it wrong that I’m craving a cheeseburger at like 10 a.m.?

  • IT’S ADAM MOKOKA BREAKOUT SZN, BABY!!!! A large part of me is kidding when I type that, and one small part is hoping it might be true. The Bulls rookie – who has been back and forth from the G-League this season on a two-way contract – has already found a way to grab national attention a couple of times this season. The first came during his end-of-the-game scoring burst against the New Orleans Pelicans when he dropped 15 points in a record 5:07. Then, on Monday night, Mokoka played some impressive lock-down defense against the Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic. While Coby White and Otto Porter helped carry the scoring load, the Bulls wouldn’t have won that game if it wasn’t for the scrappy defensive effort from Mokoka. And the performance was so good, it caught the attention of The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo, who gave the rookie a shoutout on his latest podcast.
  • I know it doesn’t fit the traditional mold of how to “make it” in today’s NBA, but aggressive defense can go a long way in grabbing certain team’s interest around the league. Heck, Kris Dunn re-invented himself this season with a newfound defensive identity, and if Mokoka wants to secure himself a roster spot down the road, focusing on this area of his game might be his best shot. Since he’s on a two-way contract, the rookie has only nine more games he can play at the pro level. As the Bulls’ health improves, it’s hard to imagine there will be many more opportunities for him, but if he finds his way back on the court, I recommend he channel that same defensive effort.
  • (Photo by Getty Images)

  • Hm, this is something to think about:
  • The Bulls officially announced yesterday that Kris Dunn will be out for the remainder of the season with an MCL sprain. With him entering restricted free agency this summer, his future in Chicago is certainly up in the air. K.C. Johnson reminded folks that around the trade deadline, the Clippers’ expressed potential interest in Dunn, but also apparently said they could wait until the offseason to make a run at him. With another injury, the Bulls might be able to keep him around easier than expected, but if they choose not to, they could look at Harrison or Mokoka to bring a somewhat similar defensive prowess off the bench.
  • Now that’s a name you want to hear!
  • To be clear, this still feels highly unlikely. As much as David Kaplan wants to push the narrative forward right now, we still have yet to get any indication that Sam Presti would express any interest or the Bulls have actually started some kind of push for him. Finding out that Presti is at the top of the Bulls list is good to hear, but isn’t shocking by any means. He should be at the top of their list. As I tweeted yesterday, this whole thing kind of feels like saying Patrick Mahomes is on the top of a team’s “QB’s I want” list. Duh, of course, he is. But is that realistic?
  • Michael: I get Eli’s sentiment here and mostly agree with it. But the fact of the matter is that there is legitimately reported one-way interest as of now and despite how much of a dumpster-fire the Bulls have been lately, they’re still an extremely desirable team to lead in a major market. It’s perfectly realistic (which is not to say probable) that a guy would leave a small market situation – even if he’s happy/set up for success – for a shot at a major market, marquee franchise. It happens all the time in sports. Again, none of that means it will happen, but I wouldn’t go quite as far in poopooing the idea.
  • Don’t you just love headlines that read: Bulls coach Jim Boylen calls timeout right before team hits layup, gets laugh at by Mavs’ Luka Doncic. I love life.
  • I need Coby White to stand over me and try to hype me up while I write about his team.
  • Speaking of Coby White, he received his first big-time recognition yesterday!
  • I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Neither the Bulls nor Timberwolves won this trade … Jimmy Butler did.
  • Time to evaluate!
  • A moment like this is what makes sports truly special:
  • https://twitter.com/espn/status/1235008008125636611?s=20

    written by

    Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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