One day I’m putting ice cubes on my dog’s neck because it is 80 degrees. The next day my dog is looking at me with that signature “what the f**k” face because it’s snowing.
Few things are more inconsistent than springtime in Chicago … but the Chicago Bulls happen to be one of those things!
If continuity was the word of the last offseason, inconsistency is definitely the word this time around. Practically every single person that took the lectern at their end-of-season press conference used that term to describe what plagued this season’s team. And I couldn’t help but let out a little frustrated chuckle every time I heard it.
Inconsistency is practically the opposite of what continuity is supposed to instill. The benefit of keeping the same group together is knowing what to expect. It’s also supposed to lead to a better understanding of how to finish close games and take care of lesser opponents. The fact the Bulls had an almost identical roster to last season and struggled to do both those things only further emphasizes how wrong the front office’s decision turned out to be. I wish I could say that the organization realizes its mistakes, but I’m truly not so sure after Arturas Karnisovas’ press conference.
Look, I’m not saying the Bulls should have made a drastic change after last season. They finished 6th in the East in their best campaign since the 2015-16 season. I understand running it back with this core. But that doesn’t mean you don’t do anything of substance with the rest of the roster. The NBA is an ever-changing league. You can’t stay the same and expect to get better results. You also can’t shoot the fewest 3-point attempts in today’s league and expect to be truly competitive. I’m crossing every extremity and limb of my body in hopes that Karnisovas and Co. have learned the error of their ways and will not make the same mistake this offseason.
Again, in theory, continuity should lead to better late-game execution, right? Since you’ve played more of those situations together, you know the best way to approach them. However, for the Bulls, we saw the opposite happen as the “Big 3” spent more time on the court together than any three-man unit in the NBA.
The Bulls held the 4th-worst winning percentage in clutch games this season (contests within 5 points with five minutes remaining) with a record of 15-23. Their clutch net rating sat just 16th in the NBA. How does that compare to the first season with this group? Well, the Bulls had the 4th-highest winning percentage in the clutch and the third-most wins. Their net rating also ranked 3rd-best behind only the Suns and Bucks, per NBA Stats.
One might assume that this drop-off was due to an individual drop-off by DeMar “King of the 4th” DeRozan, but the six-time All-Star remained one of the top clutch scorers in the NBA! In fact, DeRozan is currently one of three finalists for the first-ever Clutch Player of the Year award and sits behind only De’Aaron Fox for the most total points scored in clutch games this season.
“I think it’s just on all of us,” DeRozan said of the Bulls’ clutch woes. “As a collective, being able to figure out things in real time while we’re out there. Not matter how much you practice, how much you watch film, you got to be able to adapt into whatever environment that you’re going through the last three, four, five minutes in the games. No matter how clutch I can be, I’m one person. No matter how clutch Zach can be, he’s one person. As a collective, we all got to be aware for that IQ wise.”
At the end of the day, the Bulls’ inability to finish out games is why they aren’t battling in a first-round series this week. The Heat came into their Play-In game with 2nd-best clutch net rating in the league. They outscored the Bulls 15-1 in the final 2:54 of play. Just brutal.
Nikola Vucevic has always gotten flack for his defensive capabilities. More of a lumbering presence, he doesn’t have much verticality and has never been a reliable rim-protector. Having said that, I genuinely believe he deserves some credit for the Bulls’ rising to a top-5 defense in the NBA. The fact of the matter is that doesn’t just happen with a crappy big man in the lineup. I mean, the Bulls finished the year holding opponents to the 4th-fewest points in the paint per game!
Does that mean we should now consider Vucevic even an above-average defender? No. But a lot of defense is effort-based and about simply being in the right place at the right time. Vucevic is able to do that, specifically when someone is disrupting the point of attack like Alex Caruso or Patrick Beverley. He’s also sneaky good at playing with active hands and forcing some well-timed turnovers. Anyway, I respect how Vucevic kept it real during his end-of-year presser about his defense. He knows it isn’t his strong suit, but he also knows he isn’t as abysmal as some think.
“Obviously, the defensive part has been a knock against me for some time,” Vucevic said. “I know I have certain things I don’t do as well defensively and there are things I do really well defensively. I try to do my best I can every time I’m out there. Focus on things I do well. Use my IQ to help me on that end. I think this year was one of my better defensive years overall defensively … It shows within the right system any player can try on that end and be good. I think it was the same case for me.”
I’m not convinced the Miami Heat are a good basketball team, but I can never underestimate Jimmy G. Buckets. After taking down the Bulls’ in a do-or-die Play-In game with 31 points, he took down the Bucks in Game 1 of the first round with 35 points, 11 assists, and 3 steals. I know he had his breakup with Chicago a long time ago, but it’s still so hard not to wonder … “what if?”
As well as the Heat played in Game 1, I will not be shocked if that’s the only win they get in this series. Not only do I think their offense is going to come back down to earth (especially with Tyler Herro now out with a broken hand), but it sounds like Giannis Antetokounmpo could return as soon as Wednesday. He suffered a hard fall and lower back contusion early in last night’s game. The x-ray reportedly came back clear, however, and there is optimism he’ll return soon.
There is optimism surrounding Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (back) availability for Game 2 vs. Miami on Wednesday, sources say. From Run It Back on @FanDuelTV: pic.twitter.com/E6GpFdxjaC— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 17, 2023
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.
Alex Caruso could be missing a foot and would probably still suit up for a do-or-die game. The Chicago Bulls' defensive anchor told ESPN's Jamal Collier that he expects to play in tonight's Play-In Tournament game against the Miami Heat....
The Chicago Bulls will do something tonight that I can't remember another one of my favorite sports teams doing. With a loss, the frustrations of where this organization stands will consume me. With a win, the frustrations of where this...
The Miami Heat are a better team than the Chicago Bulls. We can all agree on that, right? We're talking about a franchise with three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in four seasons. This included last year's historic run,...
The Miami Heat announced Thursday afternoon that Jimmy Butler will officially miss Friday night's do-or-die matchup with the Chicago Bulls. The announcement comes after Butler suffered a knee injury during the first quarter of the 7v8 Play-In game against the...
The Chicago Bulls aren't ruling Alex Caruso out just yet. Despite the guard having to exit Wednesday night's Play-In Tournament over the Atlanta Hawks, Caruso is currently listed as "questionable" on the latest official injury report. The Bulls' defensive anchor...
Joakim Noah hasn't played in an NBA game since September 2020, but he still can't stand the thought of losing. The Chicago Bulls legend recently appeared on an episode of The OGs Podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller for...
I was sitting at an empty table with his legs crossed sipping on some white wine. The rest of the group was up on the dance floor, sending over the increasingly frequent wave to join them. I followed up each...
Coby White played the best game of his career on Wednesday night. In front of a packed United Center with the season on the line, White looked like the best player on the floor. He propelled the Bulls to a...
The Chicago Bulls understood the assignment. Unlike what we saw against Toronto in the first Play-In Tournament game last season, the Bulls were the ones to get out to an early lead. DeMar DeRozan was completely in his bag from...
The Chicago Bulls can't seem to swat the injury bug. Despite Andre Drummond and Ayo Dosunmu returning from their multi-game absences on Wednesday, the Bulls have likely lost their defense ace. Alex Caruso suffered a foot injury in the first...
The Seattle Mariners (9-10) will put their three-game win streak to the test when they visit the Colorado Rockies (4-15) Friday at 8:40 PM ET on ROOT Sports NW. Sportsbooks consider the Mariners -139 favorites to extend their streak, while...
The San Diego Padres (11-10) host the Toronto Blue Jays (10-9) on Friday to kick off a three-game series at PETCO Park. The matchup starts at 9:40 PM ET.The Padres will give the nod to Matt Waldron (0-1, 3.14 ERA),...
The San Francisco Giants (9-11) face the Arizona Diamondbacks (9-11) at home at 10:15 PM ET on Friday.The Giants will look to Blake Snell (0-2) against the Diamondbacks and Jordan Montgomery.Giants vs. Diamondbacks Pitcher Matchup and Game InfoWhen: Friday, April...
The New York Mets (10-8) bring a four-game winning streak into a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers (12-9) at 10:10 PM ET on Friday.This contest's pitching matchup is set, as the Dodgers will send Yoshinobu Yamamoto (1-1) to the...
The latest from NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero is QB-heavy. And if you're a fan of the Chicago Bears, you will want the section dedicated to Caleb Williams. There is all sorts of good stuff about his play style, background,...
Alex Caruso could be missing a foot and would probably still suit up for a do-or-die game. The Chicago Bulls' defensive anchor told ESPN's Jamal Collier that he expects to play in tonight's Play-In Tournament game against the Miami Heat....
Willson Contreras will look to extend his 11-game hitting streak when the St. Louis Cardinals (9-10) take on the Milwaukee Brewers (11-6). The Brewers are listed as -118 favorites on the moneyline for the contest, which starts at 8:15 PM...
Two of the league's top power hitters meet Friday when the Baltimore Orioles (12-6) and Kansas City Royals (12-7) take the field at 7:40 PM ET, live on BSKC. Gunnar Henderson has six home runs for the Orioles (-138 favorites...
One team will end a losing skid when the 6-11 Minnesota Twins (four-game losing streak) and the 10-9 Detroit Tigers (two-game losing streak) meet Friday at 8:10 PM ET. The Twins have been set as -151 favorites by sportsbooks for...
On Friday at 7:00 PM ET, the Chicago Bulls meet the Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament, and Coby White's 3-pointer prop for this clash requires three trifectas.Coby White's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the HeatCoby White's over/under for three-pointers...
NEWSLETTER
