I feel extremely confident saying that the Chicago Bulls will shoot more 3-pointers this season. Not only did they hire a shooting coach to revamp their player development department this offseason, but they also clearly prioritized shooting in their two free-agent additions.
While neither Jevon Carter nor Torrey Craig are known to shoot the highest volume of 3s, they are above-average downtown threats and have at least shot more than the role players Chicago has relied on in the past. So, overall, I expect the shooting profile of this team to change quite a bit. Creating and prioritizing catch-and-shoot 3s will likely be a far more calculated part of the game plan night-to-night.
With that said, there is a ceiling placed on any team that has DeMar DeRozan as one of its best two players. He shoots more mid-range jumpers than anyone in the NBA, and I don’t expect that to change drastically this season. Until his efficiency from that area of the floor drops off in a big way, the Chicago Bulls would be silly to make him stop. I understand that the mid-range is largely seen today as a “bad shot,” but DeRozan is the exception to the rule. Might he try to shoot more 3s? Perhaps. He has made comments in the past about waiting to add more deep balls to his game as he gets older. But he’s never going to be near the top of your team in attempts … even if he is practicing a few extra in an open gym.
🚨 IT'S OVER 🚨
"But DeMar doesn't shoot 3s"
"DeMar needs to shoot 3s"
Well guess who's working on his 3 in an empty gym???
DeRozan shot exactly 142 total 3-pointers in each of his first two seasons in Chicago. He shot 35.2 percent in 2021-22 and 32.4 percent last season. The most he’s ever shot in a single season came in 2017-18 in Toronto when he took 287 total attempts, averaging out to 3.6 per game. I guess it’s possible he will creep back toward that number in the coming years, but I highly doubt he’ll ever shoot more than 3.6 attempts ever again. We’ll see.
Also, while I expect more long-range shots, I still think the Chicago Bulls’ bread-and-butter will be in the paint AND in transition. In addition to DeRozan’s mean mid-range, you have an explosive driver and cutter in Zach LaVine who has put together his two most efficient seasons scoring at the rim over the past two seasons. Of course, you also have Nikola Vucevic, who is one of the few reliable post-up threats in the game. Having more shooters in the rotation should only help space out the defense and open up more space for these guys to work.
As for scoring on the break, the Chicago Bulls finished as having the 13-most points per play possession in transition last season. They ranked 6th in 2021-22, per Cleaning the Glass. The expectation should be for them to remain right near the top of the league yet again, particularly with the additions of both Carter and Craig. Not only do both players run the floor well, but Carter will help force turnovers and Craig will help push the ball off the glass. I expect this team to play a lot faster in general this season, particularly when DeRozan and Vucevic are off the floor.
More specifically, Chicago should be able to push the pace a ton off turnovers. They forced the 4th-most points off TOVs last season, and they now have two more high-level defenders in Carter and Craig to put alongside Caruso and Patrick Williams. The defense this season should be VERY good, folks.
DO YOU HAVE NO MERCY!?
The #Packers signed guard Michael Jordan to the practice squad.
The first 25 games of this season should give the front office pretty much every answer they’re looking for. No waiting for anyone to get healthy and plenty of tough matchups. If the Chicago Bulls can’t stay afloat, then it’s time to stop with all the “continuity” talk.
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