Setting New Expectations, Top 4 Odds, Coby White Back? And Other Bulls Notes

Is that bad? 

•   To say the wheels have fallen off for the Chicago Bulls might be an understatement. On a five-game losing streak in what was supposed to be the easiest stretch of the season, this team is set to completely flunk their post-trade-deadline test. A move that was supposed to propel the team up the Eastern Conference standings has now officially sent them in the opposite direction. Both the Raptors and Wizards won their respective games last night, meaning the Raptors moved ahead of the Bulls for the final play-in spot and the Wizards tied the Bulls for the 11th seed. But at least we’re first in assists and defensive rebounds, right!?

•   I’ll be honest with you, I’m surprisingly calm. I think the Bulls’ loss to the Orlando Magic pushed – nay, body-slammed – me over the edge. I’ve pretty much completely re-collaborated my expectations for the remainder of the season. There is still a possibility the Bulls sneak into a play-in game (the Raptors and Wizards have their own kinds of major problems), but I’m just going to proceed like it’s not happening. Likewise, instead of worrying about their record, I’m just going to focus on more detailed signs of growth and development. I want to see a strong finish for Coby White. I want to see Nikola Vucevic continue to look comfortable. I want to see Troy Brown Jr. better define his role. I want to see Patrick Williams earn a bit more offensive confidence. And I want to just see this team look like they care over this final stretch. Again, I don’t even need the wins, just play inspired basketball.

•   I don’t want to sound like I’m making a boatload of excuses for the Bulls, but I also think some context has been lost in the weeds lately. Significant roster turnover in the middle of the season can create some major bumps in the road, especially when that turnover is centered around a high-usage All-Star whose position used to be an area of weakness. The Bulls did not play basketball through the post, and now they’re trying to learn how to do that in the middle of a condensed schedule with basically zero practice time. Also, it certainly doesn’t help that this roster turnover came when the preexisting All-Star on the team had a bum ankle. Oh, and then shortly after he looked back to full strength, he was put into Health and Safety protocols for 10-14 days. We also have to consider that previously relied upon guys like Coby White and Lauri Markkanen have seen their roles vastly change in recent weeks (and they’re about to change again with LaVine out).

•   Point being: This is A LOT of change with very little time to process that change. CBS Sports’ James Herbert wrote about this the other day, and I think his takeaway sums up the situation very well:

My take: It isn’t easy to make a team cohere after a midseason trade. Unless the player addresses a need, fits the system and takes little off the table for his new team (see: Gordon, Aaron), these things take time. In his autobiography, “Rapture,” Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse writes that switching out two or three players in a nine-man rotation after the trade deadline “amounts to massive change” just as teams are approaching the playoffs, pointing out that “no other pro sport experiences such roster chaos so late in the season.” In this case, the Bulls made two trades, effectively swapping Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter, Chandler Hutchison, Daniel Gafford and Luke Kornet for Vucevic, Al-Farouq Aminu, Daniel Theis, Troy Brown Jr. and Javonte Green. Chicago has looked weird for normal reasons.

•   Does this mean we can’t be disappointed with this outcome? Absolutely not. There is no question the front office thought things would go better after the deadline, and they need to own that things went south. At the same time, these moves were not made to make the Finals this year. The front office knew there was considerable risk in this midseason decision, and that’s why Arturas Karnisovas made sure to say in his post-deadline press conference that this organization isn’t done. He knows more moves need to be made and more time is needed to adjust. I have to remind myself of that.

•   I also have to remind myself that at least the top-4 odds are trending in the right direction *shrug emoji.*

•   Last night is why I refuse to give up on Coby White. Yes, I know the Bulls lost, but non-high-upside 21-year-olds don’t just drop 27 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds with just 1 turnover. The move back to the bench surely messed up his understanding of the game, and I can’t necessarily fault him for that. He would come out looking to fire away, oftentimes settling for off-balance shots and ill-advised passes in the hopes of lighting a spark. Back in the starting lineup last night, it was clear that White slowed down and understood he could let the game come to him. The second-year guard fed the post and wisely waited for the catch and shoot three. Other times, he would get rid of the ball quickly and hunt for open-cutting lanes. He still had one or two tunnel-vision moments, but he looked the most in control we’ve seen in weeks. I’m eager to see if this can continue over the next couple of games and whether or not he can continue to build some promising chemistry with Vucevic.

•   Someone tell Patrick Williams to stop passing up three-pointers. That’s it. That’s the bullet.

•   Ugh, Bulls need to find players that have this same belief.

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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