Bulls at the break: 3 reasons for hope, 3 for concern

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Is your Chicago Bulls fandom glass half-full or half-empty?

That level seems fitting since the Bulls appear stuck in the middle, too good not to be in the middling Eastern Conference play-in race but not bad enough to be in the mix for a high pick in what is widely considered a weak draft.

Play-in fever, catch it.

The Bulls return next week from the All-Star break for a Tuesday evening practice with a 26-29 record, the ninth seed in the East and plenty of confidence for the stretch run of 27 games.

Then again, at 4 ½ games, the Bulls are as close to the 11^th seed as they are the sixth seed.

“The last couple weeks have been kind of crazy for us with injuries, dealing with all the noise on the outside and the trade rumors. Emotionally, physically, mentally, we took on a tall task and we pushed through it,” DeMar DeRozan said late Wednesday night in Cleveland. “Now we can kind of just breathe a little and gather our minds and emotions. Get some bodies back and get rejuvenated for the next 27 games. We’re going to need to put everything and more into those.

“To go through everything we went through, it showed we’re right there. With fatigue, being beat up, coming back with fresh minds and fresh legs and fresh bodies, we should be able to run off everything we need to run off.”

Here are three reasons for optimism and three reasons for pessimism for the stretch run.

Optimism

Youth movement

Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu entered the All-Star break on a tear.

Dosunmu sank 14 3-pointers over his final three games and is now shooting a team-high 41.7 percent on career-high volume of 3.3 attempts per game. He’s shooting at that level while also remaining one of the team’s best finishers and push-the-pace players and supplying physical, long-armed defense.

White’s ascension is drawing notice from an All-Star like Donovan Mitchell, who said “you can see it in his eyes . . . he belongs here” after Wednesday’s game.

White is averaging career-highs across the board. That coach Billy Donovan tasked him with taking the potential game-tying shot over DeRozan in the three-point loss to the Cavaliers marked a significant point of the season.

“The moments I’ve had this year are probably the first time in my career I’ve been trusted in those type of moments. So for me, it’s new territory. But it’s all learning,” White said. “For me to take steps to becoming the player that I want to become in this league, I need those moments. So it’s all part of the learning process, all part of the journey.

“I always watch Deebo (DeRozan) in those moments, other stars in those moments. One thing I’ve learned from Deebo is whether the shot goes in or not, he's living with it. He gave me motivation after the game, told me to move on from it, learn from it. I can’t dwell on it. It is what it is. Obviously, I would’ve loved to make the shot. I’m going to dwell on it anyway. I’m not going to lie. But I’m going to try to not let it carry over. The only thing that can really prepare you for it is going through it. So I’m just happy I’m able to go through it in the best league in the world.”

DeRozan’s steadiness

The veteran presence’s scoring may be down, but so is his usage rate as he happily cedes to White more often. He’s averaging 5.2 assists, his most as a Bull.

DeRozan’s clutch scoring and calming influence continues to reign supreme though, particularly on a roster where young players are being counted on more. DeRozan ranks eighth in the league in clutch scoring.

DeRozan’s halfcourt brilliance is so consistent and yet non-flashy that it sometimes can be taken for granted.

“DeMar had 29 points (in Atlanta) and it’s almost like, ‘OK, normal day at the office,’” Donovan said. “That’s because people have become accustomed that he’s been consistent throughout his career.”

But there’s a reason why the young players gravitate towards him and why DeRozan is so valued internally for both on- and off-the-court reasons.

Double-big lineup

It’s still a relatively small sample size. But Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond are up to 11 games together and 106 shared minutes. Their net rating is plus-8.5.

“I think it’s something we need to continually take a look at,” Donovan said. “It’s our personnel and it gives us a different look.”

As long as Drummond avoids foul trouble, look for Donovan to lean into this lineup over the final 27 games even when matchups may not call for it.

Pessimism

Zach LaVine

It’s hard to envision a worse season for LaVine, who enjoyed a healthy offseason and played at such a high level during the preseason.

But LaVine, like the rest of the team, got off to a slow start offensively and then started enduring injuries, culminating in season-ending right foot surgery. Like DeRozan, his usage rate dropped.

His trade saga will dominate the offseason. LaVine is focused on getting healthy and remains committed to regaining his All-Star form.

Health

Patrick Williams’ return timeline is unknown, dependent on how he responds to his ramp-up period coming out of the All-Star break. Williams is almost certain to miss at least the initial game---and possibly more---coming out of the break, continuing a season in which he again has shown flashes but has also battled injuries.

Torrey Craig missed 22 games. LaVine is out for the season. Vucevic missed five games. And Alex Caruso remains on a first-name basis with floorburns and the questionable status on the injury report.

Caruso is on pace to play a career-high 70 games. And White and DeRozan are tied for the NBA lead in minutes played. So the injury news isn’t all bad.

But whether the Bulls add someone via the buyout market or simply get Williams back, the need for reinforcements is palpable.

Offense

For all the offseason talk about making quicker decisions and less isolation play and changing the shot profile, the Bulls rank 30^th in PACE, first in midrange shots and 22^nd in 3-point attempts per game.

Obviously, losing LaVine and also Craig for those 22 games hurts the 3-point attempts. Jevon Carter, an accomplished 3-point shooter, also was expected to play a larger role but has lost minutes to Dosunmu’s emergence.

But the Bulls rank 21^st offensively and very little comes easily. They don’t shoot a lot of 3-pointers. They don’t get to the free-throw line a lot, ranking 23^rd in attempts. They have improved their offensive rebounding but are in the bottom half in second-chance points.

To make noise down the stretch, this end needs to improve.

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