Still Need Time to Recover, Coby and Pat, Embiid’s Status, and Other Bulls Bullets
I got to be honest, I can’t raise my hand just yet.
As much as I love some Bulls basketball, I’m going to need until at least June to work through the emotional damage this team caused me. I wish I could use to “It’s not you, it’s me” excuse, but nope. It’s most definitely the Bulls!
- I’ve had a few weeks to think about it some more, and I still find this to be the least fun I’ve had watching the Bulls in the past few years. Don’t get me wrong, the Jim Boylen Era was brutal. I’m not necessarily saying I’d pick that over what we just saw. But at least we knew what to expect in that situation! It was all about player development, and the only place to go was up. With this team, it was all about inconsistency and failing to meet expectations time and again. Watching them play felt like knowing you were going to trip over your feet every 10 steps. And there was nothing you could do about it.
- I know this sounds dumb, but aside from the actual roster and on-court issues, the vibes were just off for this team. Whether it be the tension between Billy and Zach, the locker room blow-up during the Minnesota game, or the rumors about Vucevic frustration with the “finger-pointing,” this season has the opposite aura around it when compared to last year. And, look, there should be stress in the air when losses are stacking up. But I also think adversity shouldn’t look this ugly when it strikes. The Bulls simply didn’t deal with the pressure of this season well, and that stuff matters when we think about how sustainable this core really is.
- Zach LaVine’s stepback 3 in the Bulls’ epic comeback against the Grizzlies is undoubtedly the best 3-pointer of April. It ain’t close.
- We all know by now the Chicago Bulls desperately need to add more 3-point shooting this offseason. But that doesn’t mean they also can’t make some improvement from within. The coaching staff simply needs to prioritize creating more 3-point opportunities, as well as encouraging guys like Coby White and Patrick Williams to let it fly. White shot 37.2 percent from downtown on 4.6 attempts per game. Williams shot 41.5 percent on a career-high 3.4 attempts per game. Both have proven to be decent enough downtown threats that increasing their volume from long-range should be in the cards next season.
- Speaking of Patrick Williams, we talked a little bit more about his growth here. Don’t forget: He’s up for an extension this offseason. If the Bulls can’t reach one, he’ll head toward RFA next summer (which is the situation White is going through right now).
- The 76ers could be without their MVP candidate for the start of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Embiid is still dealing with a knee sprain that forced him to miss Game 4 of the first round. Philly has been a bit lucky, though, being the only team to sweep their first-round matchup, thus receiving plenty of extra rest for Embiid.
- You gotta love draft day.
- Can confirm the Bruins-Panthers game was nuts.
