Jokic & Murray Make History, Braun vs. Terry, Dosunmu’s Future Role, and Other Bulls Bullets

If you think about it, Zach LaVine’s appearance in a Gran Turismo ad every other commercial break kinda makes it feel like the Chicago Bulls are in the NBA Finals!

*laughs … cries*

  • A 109-94 final score in a Game 3 doesn’t suggest any sort of all-time NBA Finals game. Denver took care of Miami with relative ease, maintaining a double-digit lead for the majority of the second half. Still, I can confidently sit here and say I’ll never forget those 48 minutes. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray put on one of the most impressive performances by a duo we’ve ever seen in the NBA Finals – let alone in NBA history.
  • Indeed, not only did Jokic finish with a normal 30-point triple-double, but Murray added his own to the box core! It’s the first time two teammates have ever recorded a 30-point triple-double in the same game, per the NBA. All in all, they combined for 60 percent of the team’s points, 53 percent of the team’s rebounds, and 71 percent of the team’s assists. The duo finished three rebounds shy of out-rebounding the entire Heat team.
  • I mean, seriously, that performance was at the level of duos like MJ-Scottie and Kobe-Shaq. It was simply the two best players on the floor sharing a jersey and flawlessly understanding what the other needed to succeed. They had their mind set on taking care of business against a squad that stole one back in Denver. That level of synergy shouldn’t go underappreciated.
  • Now, with the Jokic-Murray respect paid, I also must give a nod to Christian Braun. The rookie came in off the bench and scored 15 points in 19 minutes of action. He was the perfect sparkplug on both ends of the floor, and it served as a reminder of just how important taking full advantage of the NBA Draft can be. Braun, the No. 21 pick in the 2022 class, helped give his team – a team that has never won a ring – a 2-1 series lead in the NBA Finals. Awesome stuff.
  • As Bulls fans watched Braun’s stellar play, I saw many mention that he was selected three spots after Dalen Terry. On one hand, I get the frustration. Braun has looked like a solid role player all season long and has excellent positional size. It’s not at all hard to see how the Bulls could currently use a player like him on their roster. On the other hand, the guy is pretty much in the perfect situation. Who’s to say Dalen Terry doesn’t find himself with more minutes if he ends up on the West’s best team? Now, there is no question that Braun is more polished (and the fact that he can, ya know, shoot is a big perk), but I always think situation plays a bigger role than we often like to admit for most youngsters.
  • With that said, the Bulls still need to see what they have in Terry ASAP. The roster should be re-constructed with his future playing time in mind. The best way to develop is by being thrown into action. Braun had 76 regular season games under his belt before this postseason. Again, I know Terry’s shooting stroke will limit the exact role he can take on, but he’s a smart player with good court vision and solid defensive instincts. Will he make mistakes? Sure. But the Bulls must allow him to make some to help him become the player they want/need him to be.
  • Speaking of young players, the Bulls have a big decision to make this offseason with Ayo Dosunmu, Their second-round selection in 2021, Dosunmu followed up a stellar Year 1 with an underwhelming sophomore campaign. It appears as if head coach Billy Donovan isn’t prepared to trust him with the starting point guard role moving forward, so where exactly does that leave the 23-year-old? Tony Gill and The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry had an interesting convo about it on the Bulls Talk Podcast recently
  • FWIW I’m still all-in on Dosunmu. I think he’s the exact kind of talent the Bulls must invest in as they try to find their footing. While he might not be the point guard of the future, he’s shown us enough to suggest that he can be an above-average two-way combo guard. He can defend multiple positions, he’s electric in transition, and he’s pretty efficient around the rim. I’d like to see him get the opportunity to create a bit more offense for himself off the bench next season. Tapping into his mid-range game and finding a way to get him to the free-throw line a bit more would be huge.
  • The Bulls will have until June 23rd to extend Dosunmu a qualifying offer and officially make him a restricted free agent. For more key dates that are just around the corner, check out our post from Wednesday here:
  • Khris Middleton reportedly had offseason knee surgery. He’s expected to be back up and running soon, but that’s undoubtedly a big story as he heads toward free agency. Can the Bucks use that and a rocky 2022-23 as leverage to low ball him?
  • EVERYONE VOTE FOR KAHLEAH COPPER. SHE IS A STUD!
  • It’s all just a leverage play.
  • *pretends to be shocked*
  • written by

    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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