A four-game winning streak isn’t likely to quell frustration from Chicago Bulls fans.
Be it the players and coaches or management and ownership, people are ready for change. League insiders believe that day is coming.
Where do the Bulls go from here?
That’s the prevailing question in this installment of the Bulls mailbag.
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(Some questions have been edited for clarity.)
This is the most apathetic and demoralized I’ve ever felt as a Bulls fan. Not only is the current situation objectively terrible (bad, aging team, few valuable assets or promising young players), but the same people who got them into this dead-end predicament and mortgaged the future to build a mediocre-at-best team are still calling the shots and recently signed an extension. Why should I or any other Bulls fan have hope? — Nick B.
Why should we bother to watch this team? — Jeff D.
Nick and Jeff were mild. Others left similar sentiments. Several weren’t as civil. The state of the franchise rightfully has fans on edge. Continuity has run its course. Chicago can’t escape the same mediocre results. Observers want to see changes.
But let’s not go so far as to say there’s no point in watching. Alex Caruso plays as hard as anyone in the NBA. DeMar DeRozan still can take over in the fourth quarter. Coby White, Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosunmu are developing. And over the past four games, the Bulls have managed to be more entertaining. Watching isn’t the worst thing. Belief in the Bulls sustaining a high level of performance, however, feels futile.
Nick raises a legitimate concern about the people who steered the Bulls into this storm and why anyone should have faith in their ability to guide the franchise out. It’s been so long since the first half of the 2021-22 season when the Bulls were clicking with a healthy Lonzo Ball that it’s hard to continue giving the team’s front office credit for assembling that team. It was two seasons ago. It lasted only a half season. And management hasn’t done much else since to move the needle improving the roster.
My biggest concern with the front office going forward is their insistence on fielding a competitive team. It’s admirable. But perhaps it’s not the best course of action. It feels like a recipe for being stuck in the middle.
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What are the odds the Bulls do what they need to do and trade everybody? — Brandon B.
Tear it down. This team is not good. They took a shot and it didn’t work out. So start again. The goal should be to be in a position to win a championship, not make the Play-In Tournament. I have heard the argument, ‘Do you remember how bad the post-Jordan years were?’ Yes, I do. I would rather go through that again than watch any iteration of this team. Here is a question: Would you rather have the Pistons roster than the current Bulls one? My thought is at least there is the possibility of the young talent growing. I don’t see that here. — Paul D.
I’d rather have the Pistons’ roster. But is a full tear-down necessary in Chicago? To me, that means trading, as you said, everybody. I don’t see that happening, and I don’t believe it should. Individually, the Bulls are showing us talent lines on their roster. Some of it might be limited. Some are raw. Most are inconsistent. But they don’t all have to go.
Caruso is a winning player and a culture-setter for any organization. Unless a contender came calling with a first-round pick, I’d hang on to him. White, Williams and Dosunmu have value as role players. They’ll continue to improve.
The problem is the Bulls don’t have the megastar who pulls it all together, which puts them back where they started before launching this era. But enough time has passed to know that the three leading players the Bulls are relying on aren’t lifting the franchise anywhere. One must go. Maybe two. The rest can be salvaged.
LeBron James is saying big changes are needed in L.A. Certainly, they can rent DeRozan for cheap right now but don’t you agree that Zach LaVine fits perfectly there and could shine under James’ wings? — Abe R.
Does anybody think we may need to add a draft pick to move LaVine for nothing except shedding a bad player and a disgraceful contract? — John S.
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I wouldn’t call LaVine a perfect fit in L.A. That was Buddy Hield, and the Lakers fumbled that deal. LaVine sounds ideal next to LeBron because he can shoot. But put LaVine on the Lakers, stash him in the corner and see how that goes. What we might think is good for LaVine and what LaVine might want for LaVine could be vastly different. But I do agree that LaVine is a better fit for the Lakers than DeRozan.
I’d be shocked if the Bulls added any draft capital to a LaVine deal. I don’t agree with the classification of LaVine as a bad player or his contract as disgraceful. He got the going rate. And despite how this season has started for him, LaVine earned his money.
What does it take to turn this organization around? Does it go beyond ownership? How do Bulls fans force ownership out? I think most fans agree Billy Donovan has been an awful coach, so would more billboards help? Can fans boycott going to games and hurt the Reinsdorf’s pockets, then will we see changes? I’m lost truly as a fan, this organization will not get any more of my money and I encourage all my fellow fans to do the same. Darnell, please help! — Dillon S.
Is there any chance of getting Reinsdorf to sell the team? Everything I have seen in the news is that he plans to do neither. I’m at the finger-pointing phase of my Bulls-induced depression, and I can’t fathom anything worse than maintaining the status quo for the foreseeable future. Which, you know, is kind of the modus operandi of the Reinsdorf ownership. What will it take to break up business as usual? — Ben S.
Of course, ownership must bear some responsibility for how lousy the Bulls have been. Ownership doesn’t acquire players, coach them or shoot pass and dribble. But it’s ownership’s job to set the tone for the organization, provide resources and be the backstop.
It’s taboo for a sports writer to go here, and it’s certainly not a cure-all, therefore I’m not suggesting it. But the most power fans possess is purchasing power. The best way to reach anyone in corporate America’s attention is through the bottom line.
But the Bulls, with their storied history and prime market, are a cash cow for the Reinsdorfs. Why would they ever sell the team?
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How does the organization view Nikola Vučević? Why is he still starting and playing major minutes? Do they believe he’s just in a slump and his play is likely to improve? Are they hoping that some sort of hot stretch will rehab his trade value? Is there some political reason they don’t bench him? I see nothing in his play on either end that’s encouraging. In past seasons, there was nothing behind him. But Andre Drummond has been better this season, and the team has been far better with him on-court versus with Vooch. In theory, Vooch would aid spacing, but in practice, he passes up countless open 3s and bricks the best looks he does take. Please explain. — Cero Z.
Apparently, it wasn’t clear from the three-year, $60 million contract extension the Bulls gave Vučević. But they love him. He’s a multifaceted big man who provides stability in the frontcourt. He’s not the most dominant center, but he’s effective in various ways that bring value. He’s a streaky shooter but has hit some big shots. He’s at best an average defender yet the Bulls managed a top-five defense with him as the anchor last season.
Vooch also is an excellent passer who is unselfish. He often passes up 3-point attempts to try to get the offense in rhythm. Like everyone on the Bulls, Vooch has had an up-and-down season. But he’s not as bad as you’re making him out to be.
Drummond is good in spurts, but I can’t see relying on him for significantly more minutes. With the frequency of his miscues and the scope of his limitations, Drummond doesn’t warrant more playing time and certainly not over Vučević.
Will the Bulls admit they made a mistake in drafting Patrick Williams? Or do they wait until the end of the season and match any contract offer he may receive and hope things turn around? — Eric M.
What does an admission look like? A press release? A tweet? A trade?
As long as Tyrese Haliburton is tearing it up in Indiana, the Bulls don’t have to say or do anything. The Pacers point guard, selected 12th in Williams’ 2020 draft class, has made sure that blunder won’t soon be forgotten. The Bulls retaining Williams as a restricted free agent won’t change that.
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Williams has a lot of time to show he belongs in a Bulls uniform moving forward. His defense and spot-up shooting alone are worthy of a roster spot. But at what price? That’s where the Bulls and Williams could have much different valuations. My hunch is the money, not Williams’ skills, is what determines his future. The Bulls aren’t done with him yet.
A rebuild seems like the best option. But from my understanding, Donovan wasn’t interested in a rebuild when he was first hired. In light of his recent extension and ownership’s reluctance to pay coaches who are no longer coaching, what is your best guess as to what this means for Donovan, the coaching position(s), and how the management approaches the rebuild and its timeline moving forward should it happen? Thank you! — Edouardo C.
We can’t assume the Bulls are headed for a rebuild. There’s been nothing to suggest that’s the direction they want to go. Management made a conscious decision in 2020 to not blow up the team, and the front office seeks to remain competitive now. I doubt you’ll see a roster makeover that brings in a host of young talent. Look for a mix of mid-career players who can come in and help the Bulls win now.
Donovan was asked in Oklahoma City about leaving the Thunder for the Bulls. In perhaps his most revealing answer yet, he said the people he works with each day mattered more than anything. Teams, he said, are cyclical.
The interesting thing to me is Donovan seems better suited for a young and impressionable roster than a ready-made, star-studded squad. Look at his history. He came up short with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. He lost repeatedly in the first round with Westbrook and Paul George. Now he’s arguably underachieving with LaVine, DeRozan and Vučević.
Yet, Donovan has a long history of success with young players. With the Thunder, he helped young players flourish such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Domantas Sabonis, Lu Dort, Steven Adams, Andre Roberson and Darius Bazley. With the Bulls, he’ll be credited for guiding White, Dosunmu and Williams early.
Who’s to say Donovan also wouldn’t prefer anything but more time for this team?
(Photo of LeBron James, Zach LaVine and Anthony Davis (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
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