NEWSLETTER
Unfortunately, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, and we all know what that means: 6-8 more weeks of injury trouble.
CURSE YOU, PSYCHIC GROUNDRODENT!
• Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley may be the sneakiest pair of executives in the league. They blindsided the entire NBA last season with their acquisition of big man Nikola Vucevic, and they did it again this summer with a free agency period no one saw coming. And while the longer these two are operational, the more opposing front offices will undoubtedly learn some of their tendencies, there still appears to be no real consensus on how the Bulls want to attack this trade deadline.
“According to several basketball executives in the last week, the Bulls remain one of the toughest organizations to get a read on because Karnisovas plays things close to the vest, and little seems to leak out,” Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times wrote.
https://twitter.com/BN_Bulls/status/1488915184894857216?s=20&t=2NFKrvR08egMqyqTwoYPNw
• Millsap makes sense for a size-needy and frontcourt-depleted Bulls team, but Schroder? I wrote much more about this in the post above, so I’ll keep this brief, but I can understand at least some of the thought process around a Schroder addition. The team is trying to stay atop the Eastern Conference standings without two of their best defenders and backcourt players until at least March. Schroder would provide a veteran presence and the defensive wherewithal to fill a short-term void. Still, is it worth adding more guards to a guard-heavy team? Especially when all available assets feel better put toward a big man? I’d surely say no.
• The only way I really see a world where Schroder becomes a Bull is if Karnisovas moves off Coby White in some kind of bigger deal that adds frontcourt assistance. Schroder would then slide into the sparkplug Sixth Man role he’s played successfully in the past. But, to be clear, I don’t see the Bulls doing this. If Karnisovas didn’t see something in White, he wouldn’t still be here right now. The third-year guard also provides the kind of youth and long-range shooting that Schroder can not. White has shown he can fill his role on this current Bulls team well, and I think the Bulls are much better off keeping him in house.
• FWIW: Here are some names I think the Bulls might be better off pursuing …
Frontcourt Trade Targets the Bulls Might Want to Consider (Not Named Jerami Grant or Harrison Barnes)https://t.co/5XiMotVpJQ pic.twitter.com/IfpOyFzPEV
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 20, 2022
Everyone and their mother knows the Bulls need help in the frontcourt, and rumor has it they could look to improve the backup center position at the deadline.
Any names you're interested in?
I listed a few below ⬇️https://t.co/QPPqar41Ch
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 30, 2022
• THE “WE LOVE AYO DOSUNMU” TOUR CONTINUES!
https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1488933182175125507?s=20&t=snMDfOqp-c1HfahKMC0v4Q
• After Dosunmu dropped 13 points with 9 assists in his 10th-straight game as the team’s starting point guard last night, I couldn’t help but think about how perfect this whole situation has played out. Thanks to the Bulls’ mix of veteran talent, as well as a true rotational competition for minutes, I feel like Dosunmu landed in the ideal environment. The guy is a natural sponge that has been able to reap the benefits of a more experienced and sufficiently run organization. While there is no question Dosunmu, specifically, appears to be a special talent, this does make me the most optimistic I’ve been in a long time about the Bulls’ ability to develop young players.
• All it takes is watching Zach LaVine for two minutes to be utterly shocked by the news that he once tore his ACL. The guy is as springy and athletic as ever five seasons removed from the incident, which is why it must have meant a lot to the Nuggets Jamal Murray – who recently suffered the same injury – to hear from the All-Star. According to the Denver Post, LaVine has been one of several players who have helped Murray through his recovery.
“It’s a fraternity, man, it really is,” LaVine told Mike Singer. “There’s only so many of us and especially for guys that have some type of friendship and respect for each other, I’m always there for that.”
• LaVine also opened up about how hard the whole process was for him. While he may have come back as strong as ever, it wasn’t without its scars.
“I know I put on a smile half the time just to let everybody know around me, ‘I’m OK,’ even though you have some up and down days,” he said. “It’s tough to deal with. It makes you a stronger person, it makes you really mentally tough.”
• This dunk deserves even more love. Vicious.
DEEBO TAKING OFF.@NBCSChicago | @DeMar_DeRozan pic.twitter.com/C40LjlGcA5
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 2, 2022
• Another member of the Colts staff comes to Chicago.
The Bears Are Hiring Colts Safeties Coach Alan Williams to be Their New Defensive Coordinatorhttps://t.co/dIvBTweaNT pic.twitter.com/tdaOxrE8E9
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) February 2, 2022
