Category: Bulls News

Billy Donovan shares praise for Dalen Terry: ‘That’s a good sign’

Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan recently showed some love to Dalen Terry.

As the Chicago Bulls have dealt with injury after injury this season, multiple players up and down the roster have had to step up. Coby White is the most notable, as he’s putting together a Most Improved Player-caliber season this year. Andre Drummond has also taken on a larger role than usual and thrived thanks to his impressive rebounding.

Second-year wing Dalen Terry has also stepped into the Bulls’ rotation as of late. He only appeared in 38 games in his rookie season, but this year, he’s already played in 22. And so far, the Bulls are pleased with his performance on the court.

Head coach Billy Donovan recently praised Terry for his mentality on the court and the way he’s handled himself through struggles.

“The thing I like about him is [that] as a young player, maybe getting consistent minutes this year where last year he didn’t, you know there’s going to be these moments of down where he’s not going to play well,” Donovan said via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I always try and look at younger players as, ‘How do they come back and respond?’ . . . It’s not even making or missing shots, [but] defensive rotations, assignments, sending a guy left and he doesn’t do that, or [he] forgets to block out, leaves his feet on a shot fake and fouls a shooter. Those are the things that he’s got to get more consistent on. [But] when he’s had games where he’s done those things, he’s always come back and responded really well, and I always think that’s a good sign.”

So far this season, Terry is averaging 2.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 40.0% from the field and 20.0% from behind the three-point line.

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Coby White shows love to hometown after Bulls take down Hornets

After the Chicago Bulls’ second-straight win over the Charlotte Hornets, Coby White spoke about what it was like to return to his hometown.

After a fairly convincing win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, the Chicago Bulls went into Monday looking to make it two in a row over the same squad. With Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic back for their second game since their respective injuries and both still coming off the bench, the Bulls were as close to full strength as they’ve been in a long time, and they picked up a 119-112 win.

However, despite the injury returns, it was still Coby White who led the way for the Bulls. The 23-year-old point guard emerged as a crucial piece of the puzzle when LaVine was out, and now, he’s one of the leaders in Chicago.

After the game, White spoke about what it was like to return home, as he’s from Goldsboro, North Carolina, and played college hoops at UNC.

“It’s always fun to come back home and see everybody who supported me throughout my career,” White said via ESPN.

The North Carolina native finished the game with a team-high 27 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists in his hometown state. He shot 10-of-19 from the field and 3-of-7 from behind the three-point line.

Big man Andre Drummond also put in a big shift, dropping 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Vucevic had a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double off the pine.

As for the Hornets, Terry Rozier led the way on that end, pouring in an absurd 39 points on 10-of-18 shooting overall and 7-of-13 shooting from deep. He also added three rebounds and eight assists while shooting 12-of-12 from the charity stripe.

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Zach LaVine talks about Bulls’ success: ‘We caught a great rhythm’

Zach LaVine is very hyped about the Chicago Bulls’ recent success.

Following a brutal start to the season, the Chicago Bulls have soared back into the Play-In Tournament race. Coby White and DeMar DeRozan have led the way, with some rebounding help from Andre Drummond along the way. However, the interesting part is that it’s all been without Zach LaVine.

LaVine went down with a foot issue on November 28 and just came back this past Friday against the Charlotte Hornets. In his absence, the Bulls seriously picked up the pace. While LaVine’s absence may not be directly correlated to Chicago’s extended success, it’s still something to note. However, LaVine couldn’t be more thrilled.

He recently spoke about how excited he is for the Bulls to finally see the fruit of their preseason labor.

“We caught a great rhythm in December doing the same thing that we were working on in training camp,” LaVine said via Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “It was great to see it actually start coming in and clicking.”

In his return to action against the Hornets on Friday, LaVine came off the bench for the Bulls. He put up 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists while shooting 6-of-11 from the field and 1-of-5 from behind the three-point line.

Chicago picked up a win over Charlotte, who is sitting toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference, and they get to take on the Hornets again on Monday night.

However, their first real test with LaVine back won’t be until Wednesday, when they take on the new-look Houston Rockets.

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Are the Chicago Bulls getting healthy at just the right time?

Was the team’s early season struggles more of an aberration, or did these injuries provide the necessary cover for the Bulls to reinvent themselves?

Are the Chicago Bulls getting healthy at just the right time? With star lead guard Zach LaVine finally healthy again and not making waves as he reintegrated into how the Bulls have been playing without him to greater success, so too is staring Chicago center Nikola Vucevic now that his recent groin issues seem to be behind him.

While there have been some ongoing issues still in need of ironing out, as whole, the Bulls seem to have found a formula for success without these two key players — and more importantly, their reintroduction seems to be making the ball club better. Was the team’s early season struggles more of an aberration, or did these injuries provide the necessary cover for the Bulls to reinvent themselves?

Whatever the answer is in reality, the folks behind the “Locked On Bulls” podcast weighed in on what they think is going on with Chicago’s success in the wake of those twin injuries.

Check it out above!

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Bulls’ Alex Caruso details how he’s feeling amid injury recovery

Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso revealed how his injury recovery has been going.

The Chicago Bulls have been riddled with injuries this season, adding to the already-poor outlook they had to begin the season. Zach LaVine missed a ton of time, Nikola Vucevic was out for a while, and Torrey Craig is still out and set to miss multiple more weeks moving forward.

In addition, Alex Caruso is currently out with a cervical strain. The veteran guard has been a key piece of the Bulls’ success this season, and as the trade deadline inches closer, he could be one of their best assets. However, he needs to get back out on the court first.

Caruso recently spoke about his injury recovery and how it’s gone. (H/t Nick Raguz of Bulls News)

“The training staff has been taking care of me and I’ve been resting a lot,” Caruso said via KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “It feels good to be back on the court [Sunday].”

Head coach Billy Donvovan also provided an update on Caruso and Patrick Williams, who is also dealing with an injury. He noted that Caruso took part in non-contact practice on Sunday, but Williams did not.

So far this season, Caruso is averaging 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 51.0% from the floor and 42.6% from beyond the three-point arc.

The Bulls are going to be a team to watching heading into the trade deadline, and plenty of teams will undoubtedly be chomping at the bit to land Caruso. Chicago should want him to get healthy for the sake of their internal improvement, but also so they can explore potential trades.

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Bulls’ Coby White discusses next step in evolution of his game

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White sayd off-ball movement is the next step.

At the start of the season, everything was going downhill for the Chicago Bulls. It looked like they were headed straight for a rebuild, and they still might be. However, they have a few bright spots now, and the primary one is Coby White, who has been nothing short of amazing this season.

With Zach LaVine missing significant time, White stepped up in a big way. He’s been one of the driving factors for Chicago’s success, as he and DeMar DeRozan have been the leading scorers during the Bulls’ recent surge. However, at 23 years old, White still has plenty of room to improve.

White recently spoke about the next step in his evolution as a player – off-ball movement.

“Figure out how to move without the ball more,” White said via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I need to watch more film on moving without the ball, getting into those open areas. AC [Alex Caruso] does that really well, and JC [Jevon Carter] does it really well, finding open areas, knowing drives and where to be. I want to play off those closeouts because I feel that’s where I’m most impactful, playing off the closeouts with either catch-and-shoots or driving it and get my playmaking involved.”

So far this season, White is averaging 17.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while shooting 44.4% from the field and 39.6% from behind the three-point line.

If White can nail down his off-ball movement, his game with take another step forward. He has a real chance to be a star in Chicago.

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2 Western Conference playoff contenders could want Zach LaVine

These two West tems were floated as potential teams to watch in the Zach LaVine trade sweepstakes with the Chicago Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls are going to have some tough decisions to make at this year’s NBA trade deadline. Following their tough start to the season, it looked as though they would be certain sellers. However, they’ve since skyrocketed back up the standings, establishing themselves as legitimate Play-In Tournament contenders.

Making things even more complicated is Zach LaVine’s return from injury. Prior to him being sidelined, reports indicated that the Bulls were focused on finding a trade for LaVine. However, he just made his return to action on Friday night after being out since November 28, and the next few weeks could help determine his value on the trade market.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times recently wrote an article detailing his potential trade case, and he noted that the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings could be two teams to watch out for.

“Keep an eye on Sacramento and Golden State as they battle with inconsistency and tough roster decisions, and then there’s always the unforeseen injury that could happen to a team with deep playoff aspirations,” Cowley wrote. “In other words, a quiet market today could become very loud tomorrow or in the upcoming weeks.”

The Warriors have dealt with a ton of inconsistencies this season, while the Kings have established themselves as a playoff team but not necessarily a title contender.

LaVine’s presence as a scorer and shot-creator would make sense on both teams, but again, his play over the Bulls’ upcoming stretch of games will play a big factor in his potential movement at the trade deadline.

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Bulls’ Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic look good in their return from injury

While neither was playing a significantly reduced role compared to before their injuries, it is promising that they integrated back into the flow of things so well.

The Chicago Bulls notched another win in the return of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, with both shining in a bench role as they beat up on the hapless Charlotte Hornets 104-91. Vucevic and LaVine each played significant minutes in their respective returns from injury as the Bulls continue to inch towards righting their rough start to the NBA’s 2023-34 season.

The Bulls big man put up 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in 25 minutes of floor time, going 5-of-12 from the floor overall, his jumper looking rusty from deep with just 1-of-5 efficiency. LaVine contributed a modest 15 points, 5 boards, and 4 assists in 30 minutes of game time, shooting 6-of-11 and showing the same rust as his taller teammate with 1-of-5 results from beyond the arc as well. While neither was playing a significantly reduced role compared to before their injuries, it is promising that they integrated back into the flow of things so well.

Haize and Pat The Designer, the hosts of the “Locked On Bulls” podcast, dug into the positive returns of LaVine and Vucevic on a recent episode.

Check it out above!

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Nikola Vucevic speaks out on injury return in Bulls win over Hornets

After the Chicago Bulls’ 104-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, Nikola Vucevic spoke about his return from injury.

The Chicago Bulls snapped a two-game skid on Friday night, picking up a 104-91 win over the bottom-feeding Charlotte Hornets. Coby White was the star of the show, and 21-year-old Dalen Terry earned the first start of his NBA career, but the highlight of the game was the returns of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic after extended injury absences.

Both players came off the bench, and after the game, LaVine spoke about his return. He had been out since November 28. As for Vucevic, he missed five games in a row dating back to December 26 before coming back to action on Friday night.

He also spoke about his return from injury after the contest, discussing how he felt and what it was like to get back out on the court.

“I think it was just the first game kind of figuring out my minutes and stuff, but since everything went fine I think going forward it shouldn’t be an issue,” Vucevic said via ESPN.

Vucevic played 24:55 off the bench for the Bulls, giving them solid minutes in the win. He ended the night with 11 points, seven rebounds, and three assists while shooting 5-of-12 from the floor and 1-of-5 from behind the three-point line.

He played well, but he could also be a potential trade chip this season.

The Bulls signed the veteran big man to a three-year contract extension this summer, but despite their recent success, they still seem to be headed toward another rebuild at the deadline this year. Or, at the very least, a rebuild next offseason.

Considering he just re-signed, it seems relatively unlikely that the Bulls move him at the deadline this year, but he’ll certainly be a name to watch.

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Zach LaVine discusses return from injury in Bulls win over Hornets

After the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Charlotte Hornets, Zach LaVine spoke about his return from injury.

The Chicago Bulls continued their upswing on Friday night, winning their sixth game in their last 10. They earned a 104-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Coby White led the way with a monster night, pouring in 22 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists while shooting 7-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-6 from deep, but Zach LaVine was the story of the evening.

LaVine made his return to action after missing 17 straight games from November 28 up until Friday. He came off the bench for the Bulls but ended up playing 29:55. The Bulls star played a big part in the win, giving them some solid production off the bench.

After the game, he spoke about how he felt in his long-awaited return from injury.

“Physically, all good, you just have to catch your wind … but I felt good. I’m going to get my wind over the next couple of games,” LaVine said via ESPN. “I think I did good. Missed a couple of open shots that I thought I should make, but other than that, I tried to go out there and play as hard as I could.”

LaVine finished the game with 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists while shooting 6-of-11 from the floor and 1-of-5 from beyond the three-point line.

Getting LaVine back into the fold should provide the Bulls with a nice boost, but perhaps more interestingly, it will give him a chance to rebuild his trade value.

As the trade deadline inches closer and closer, LaVine could still be one of the premier names on the block.

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