It happened, folks. The Chicago Bulls used their devil magic to get me excited about signing Patrick Beverley and possibly making a run to the playoffs.
Since I know deep down this is a very foolish thing to think, I went ahead and wrote out the post shared below. If you need a little reminder of just how difficult it will be for the Bulls to earn a second-straight first-round series, give that thing a read.
Spoiler Alert: It’s very difficult and they likely should have prioritized improving their lottery odds!
I feel like all we’ve talked about the past couple of days is Patrick Beverley, but I guess that’s what happens when you enter the All-Star break as losers of six straight with no clear direction. The Bulls’ new signing addressed reporters for the first time on Wednesday after practice, and he described his role in pretty much the exact way he should:
“Energy and effort. Everything else is between the lines,” Beverley said. “The game is about putting the ball in the hole and stopping the other team from putting the ball in the hole. When it comes to shooting and when it comes to stopping other people, I’m pretty good at that …”
I’ll say it again, Beverley at least feels like the best fit among those who rumored are potential Bulls’ mid-season pickups. While it’s always going to take some time for a player to find his footing in a new environment (it’s hard to expect much in just 23 games), I do think Beverley should have an easier time than some at successfully contributing to this rotation from the jump. He isn’t a ball-dominant player like Westbrook or Wall nor is he someone who needs to take a handful of shots to feel satisfied. What he does best is guard his butt off, keep the ball moving, and hit some open 3s. Adding that into the picture shouldn’t be all that challenging for head coach Billy Donovan.
I’ll be very curious to see what the Bulls’ rotation looks like over the next couple of weeks. Will Beverley find his way onto the floor next to Alex Caruso to end games, thus taking Patrick Williams off the court? Will Ayo Dosunmu’s experience with this roster still earn him big minutes? What about Derrick Jones Jr. and Coby White? The fact of the matter is that somebody is going to see their minutes decreased rather significantly as Beverley gets acclimated.
If Beverley wants to win over Bulls fans, he’s done a pretty good job so far. All the veteran does is continue to voice excitement about getting to play in his home city.
“Obviously an honor. Obviously, the way I play, I run through a wall for any team I play,” Beverley said on Wednesday. “Now, it’s the city that I’m from. I don’t know what might happen. I might pull some sh*t out I’ve never done before. I’m super excited. I’m super stoked. I can’t wait to get started. This is good energy. Fresh energy.”
Donovan had his first opportunity to address Lonzo Ball’s official shutdown after Wednesday’s practice. He remains one of the more well-respected head coaches in the NBA, and responses like this remind us why:
“The thing for me is, I think a lot of times it’s easy to just look at it from the lens of ‘gosh, we wish he was out there playing.’ But, to me, it’s a totally different perspective of just what he’s had to go through. That’s the thing that really bothers me,” Donovan told reporters. “He’s 25 years old at this point in time of his career and the game over the years really has been taken away …
He’s always tried to handle himself well. He’s always tried to be upbeat. He’s always tried to be like he’s moving and progressing in the right way. The decisions were made with Arturas and Mark and his representation. But I just feel bad for him.”
Agreed, Billy. It’s not even about what Ball brings to this team anymore. All that matters is that he can get past this injury and doesn’t have to see his entire life shift at the age of 25. Get well soon, Zo.
In case you haven’t kept up: The Bulls did go through a non-contact practice on Wednesday and will have another practice later today. Then, they will return to action tomorrow night against the new-look Brooklyn Nets – who beat them in their first game after a massive trade deadline by 11 points. I believe the expectation is that Beverley will be available for Friday’s game.
Damian Lillard = Best NBA rapper.
"Shooters in the locker room like we the f*****g Wizards" 😂
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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