The Chicago Bulls clinched the honor of hosting the Atlanta Hawks in the Play-In Tournament next week. A win would then send them to either Philly or Miami, where they would have the right to steal the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. I’m sure the Bulls’ brain trust will find a way to put a positive spin on whatever outcome occurs.
The United Center got to host its first Play-In game, which the fans loved! We won a Play-In game for the second year in a row despite our injuries! We made the playoffs for the second year in a row, which shows us we’re really close!
In reality, sans a remarkable playoff series victory, there isn’t anything that can be done to convince me that mass roster change isn’t a necessity. But that likely won’t stop the front office from trying! I’ve been mentally preparing myself for this disappointment for months, so I might as well try to relish in the last bit of basketball we get this season before a long summer. It won’t be easy, but I’ll try!
I was worried the Chicago Bulls would find a way to let the 13-win Detroit Pistons hang around (again), especially after they shot upwards of 50.0 percent in the first half. But they didn’t! Both Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan looked motivated to avoid another embarrassment. They combined for a staggering 66 points on 26-43 shooting. We also saw the two combined for 15 rebounds and 11 assists. As far as I’m concerned, this is precisely what we’ll have to see next week in the Play-In Tournament. The whole point of building a team around veteran All-Stars is for them to take charge late in the season. They’ve struggled to do that in the past, but they now have another opportunity.
I still can’t believe what Javonte Green is doing. He went from playing 10 games in the G-League to starting three straight games for the Bulls with ease. Seriously, take a look at his stats from the last four games …
Have the Bulls’ load of injuries opened the door for Green to slide right into some significant minutes? Yes. But he’s also sprinted with the opportunity. Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald also made a great – and concerning – point about just how impactful Green has been. The Bulls spent $8.7 million on Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig … only for Green to steal their minutes and have a great influence on the game. On the one hand, that says a lot about how good Green has been. On the other hand, it feels like another strong indictment of this front office.
One of the many frustrating things about this #Bulls season: They spent about $8.7 million to sign Jevon Carter & Torrey Craig, only to have Javonte Green, who they could have had for minimum, jump in and make a bigger impact than either one…— Mike McGraw (@McGrawDHSports) April 12, 2024
We’re bound to see some players in street clothes over the next few games. With the No. 9 seed locked into place, there are a few guys who deserve some extra rest. The obvious name is DeMar DeRozan, who continues to lead the NBA in total minutes played behind only Domantas Sabonis. White and Alex Caruso should also be on the list. White sits third among players in minutes played this year. Meanwhile, Caruso is a madman who must be protected at all costs. If he doesn’t NEED to be out there, then saving him from himself feels like the best way to approach these next two games.
Speaking of Caruso, the guard also surpassed the 65-game threshold on Thursday night and is now officially eligible for All-Defensive honors. While he’s played 70 games total this year, several of those didn’t count because he failed to reach 20 total minutes played due to injuries. Regardless, with the box now officially checked, I would expect him to earn his second-straight All-Defense First Team honor. Anything short of that would be a big mistake by the voters, in my opinion.
Great video that demonstrates both Caruso’s intellect and tenacity.
"Alex Caruso is a teammate's dream on the defensive end of the floor."
Looking for some Chicago Bulls summer gear? HOMAGE has some shorts on sale right now, which you can check out here!
According to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, Kentucky never “aggressively” pursued Billy Donovan this week for their head coach opening. Does that mean it was all a smoke screen? Or did they get the tip from his camp that he simply wasn’t interested? If we’re taking the head coach at his word, he sure didn’t sound too eager to leave the NBA earlier this week.
The Pope news comes with this context, via multiple sources: UK did not aggressively pursue Billy Donovan at any point over the past four days, sources told CBS Sports. Was also told there was no contact with Rick Pitino.— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 12, 2024
I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue to say it: My irritation with this franchise has nothing to do with the guys. This seems like a fun locker room, and I just wish that translated more to the floor.
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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