Sounds Like the Bulls Will Rest Their Core Guys vs Dallas

Thanks to back-to-back losses this week, the Chicago Bulls’ hopes of moving up the Eastern Conference ladder died. The team is now locked into the 10 seed with two more regular season games to go.

The expectation now is that the Bulls will take their foot off the gas as they prepare for their first of potentially two Play-In games. Head coach Billy Donovan explained to his reporters how he believes the coaching and medical staff will approach the end of the regular season.

“My feeling would be that Zach, DeMar, Vooch those guys who have logged a lot of minutes would sit down with medical to determine the game against Dallas,” Donovan said after the game. “And whatever they decide to come up with because the players will have a say so in that. My feeling is they have to play some against Detroit unless someone has an illness or injury and it’s not good for them physically. 

But I think just to take two games off where they have been so used to playing every other day or a couple of days playing, I think that rhythm is important. I’m not sitting here saying going into the Detroit game if that’s the last game that they need to play their normal rotation, but they need to be out there I would think.”  

Put simply, it seems clear we shouldn’t anticipate seeing the Bulls’ core members suit up against Dallas. And, if they do, they likely aren’t going to stay on the court for long. Considering the trio of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vuecvic has clocked more total minutes than any three-man lineup this season, prioritizing rest feels like a wise move.

Not to mention, giving guys like Patrick Williams, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu some extra rope to build some confidence before the Play-In can’t hurt.

I do agree with his thought process around the final regular season game, though. With the Play-In matchup not scheduled until next Thursday, the Bulls will want their stars to stay in at least some kind of rhythm. Perhaps this means all three will see time in the first half but sit out the second.

The only two players that I think could truly receive zero minutes over the next two games are DeRozan and Alex Caruso. DeRozan has dealt with that quad issue on and off in recent weeks, while Caruso is playing through foot soreness. The medical staff might see this as a good opportunity to get both as close to 100 percent as possible.