Tag: 2023-24 Chicago Bulls

Breaking down the Chicago Bulls’ play-in matchup with the Atlanta Hawks

The Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, or Indiana Pacers could also be waiting for them should they advance.

The Chicago Bulls had big hopes at the start of the NBA’s 2023-24 season, but injuries to Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, and Patrick Williams had something else to say about that hoped-for outcome. Now, instead of a bounce-back season for the Bulls after a few disappointing ones, Chicago is staring down a tilt (or more) in the league’s play-in tournament.

But the Bulls at least have a long runway to study up on how they will play the Atlanta Hawks, the opponent they are locked into for that first contest of the tourney. The Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, or Indiana Pacers could also be waiting for them should they advance, but one game at a time for now.

On a recent episode of the “Bulls Talk” podcast, hosts K.C. Johnson and Kevin Anderson took a closer look at Chicago’s play-in outlook.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

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Bulls to take intriguing French forward in new mock draft

While he may not have the physical gifts or talents of Wemby, he is still an intriguing prospect.

The 2024 NBA draft is a distant event to most fans of the Chicago Bulls. But for folks who earn a living projecting the NBA draft, it is actually pretty late in the game of assessing each year’s crop of draft prospects. And the folks over at the Ringer have a target in mind for the Bulls’ first round pick of the 2024 draft, a 6-foot-8 French forward currently playing in Europe for JL Bourg in the LNB Pro A league that produced Victor Wembanyama.

That player would be 19-year-old Zaccharie Risacher, and while he may not have the physical gifts or talents of Wemby, he is still an intriguing prospect for Chicago to consider. Compared to Michael Porter, Jr. by the Ringer, Risacher can play up or down from his natural 3 position, and is a dangerous catch-and-shoot marksman.

He does struggle to finish at the rim at a level that concerns, and his long-distance shot needs more volume to feel confident that it is as good as we hope it is.

But even before his breakthrough this season as a jump shooter, he was serviceable enough. And with his solid defensive chops and his slashing attacks, the ceiling on Risacher is high, and the floor not terribly low.

While there are a few wings with higher floors likely to be had later in the draft, if Risacher is still on the board, the Bulls should pull the trigger and draft him.

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Could the Chicago Bulls really lose Billy Donovan to Kentucky?

If you believe the whispers coming from fans of the University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball program, they might.

Could the Chicago Bulls end up needing to do a head coaching search this coming offseason? If you believe the whispers coming from fans of the University of Kentucky Men’s Basketball program, they might.

The folks over at CBS Sports are suggesting that Chicago head coach Billy Donovan might defect back to the college ranks to helm UK after the departure of longtime Kentucky head coach John Calipari. That is the sort of plum gig that could conceivably pry the former two-time, back-to-back NCAA titlist from what has been a losing situation in Chicago for some time now.

Could the Bulls really lose Donovan to the Wildcats?

The folks behind the “Bulls Central” YouTube channel took a closer look at the context of this situation on a recent clip they put together after news broke that Kentucky might have eyes for Donovan’s services after parting with Calipari.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear their take.

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Which player is the most likely to end up in the Hall of Fame on the Chicago Bulls’ roster?

For the Bulls, the answer is a fairly straightforward one.

Which player is the most likely to end up in the Hall of Fame on the Chicago Bulls‘ roster? This was a hypothetical question posed to all 30 teams in the NBA in a recent article by Bleacher Report league analyst Dan Favale in a recent article.

For the Bulls, the answer is a fairly straightforward one, given this player is already on the cusp of such an honor at this stage of his career. For Favale, the answer in Chicago is clearly DeMar DeRozan. “Six All-Star selections and three All-NBA nods leave DeRozan just short of the baseline ‘inarguable Hall of Famer’ criteria.”

“But the combination of both coupled with his longevity should erase any doubt,” he adds. “Ditto for his career numbers.”

Noting that DeRozan is currently in his sixth season averaging over 20 points and 5 assists per game, the B/R analyst reminds us that out of the 24 players “with as many or more of these campaigns, Stephon Marbury is the only one outside the Hall of Fame or not considered a lock to make it once he retires.”

“Include someone else from the Chicago Bulls roster at your own risk,” he adds, and when you look at the resumes of players like Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine, Andre Drummond, and Alex Caruso, it’s hard to disagree.

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The Chicago Bulls have held steady in the final Bleacher Report weekly NBA power ranking of the season

Could Chicago’s season end in the play-in? 

The Chicago Bulls have held steady in the final Bleacher Report weekly NBA power ranking of the 2023-24 season. Ranked No. 21 overall in Andy Bailey’s estimation last week, the B/R league analyst sees little reason to shuffle the deck further regarding the Bulls after a fairly typical week for them this season.

“Just when it looked like they might get to .500 on the season, the … Bulls have gone 2-5 in their last 7 games,” writes Bailey of Chicago. “And the most recent loss came against the Atlanta Hawks, who are within striking distance of Chicago’s 9th-place spot.”

“In the end, all of this is probably inconsequential, but the Bulls and Hawks are on a collision course for the 9-10 game in the play-in tournament,” he notes. “And home-court advantage could be important in that matchup.”

“Atlanta’s true shooting percentage is nearly 3 points lower when it’s on the road than it is when the team’s at home,” reminds the B/R analyst. Could Chicago’s season end in the play-in?

If it did, it would be a fitting end to a season cursed by injury and mismanagement — but we think there’s a shot for Chicago to advance.

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On how the Javonte Green effect is real for the Chicago Bulls

Green showed us he still has plenty of juice left in the tank.

Fans of the Chicago Bulls who know ball were understandably excited about Javonte Green’s return to the Bulls on a 10-day deal. And even more so when Chicago’s front officer elected to sign him to a rest-of-season contract to complete the reunion and make the Radford alum playoff eligible.

And while it was reasonable to keep our expectations low for the recuperating wing given he just came back from surgery on a knee injury that kept him sidelined for nearly a full year, Green showed us he still has plenty of juice left in the tank on the court almost from the moment of his return.

Has his recent play mostly been a product of Green wanting to show he can still help his former team? Or can we expect more great games from him on the regular?

To the folks behind the folks behind the “Bulls Central” YouTube channel, the phenomena we are all witnessing is something they dub the “Javonte Green” effect. Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear why.

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This Chicago Bulls team makes no sense this season

What sort of Bulls squad will we see take the court for the NBA’s 2024 play-in tournament?

This Chicago Bulls team makes no sense this season. The inconsistent play makes for a dizzying ball club in terms of keeping track of the kind of teams they tend to beat, and those they tend to lose to in their more recent contests this campaign.

With wins over the mighty Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and Indiana Pacers (and twice, at that) since the start of the month of March, you might think the Bulls are trending in the right direction as the postseason draws near. But Chicago has also dropped games to the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, and even the lowly Washington Wizards in recent weeks.

Appearing to be as confused about their identity as a ball club as we are, what sort of Bulls squad will we see take the court for the NBA’s 2024 play-in tournament?

The folks behind the “Bulls Central” YouTube channel took a closer look at these concerning trends on a recent episode of their show. Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about Chicago’s uneven play of late.

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On the Chicago Bulls bringing back Javonte Green

Green is playoff eligible for the Bulls’ play-in tournament push and, if they win, beyond.

In his first return to the team since completing a rehabilitation from surgery to fix a knee injury sustained at the end of the Chicago Bulls‘ 2022-23 season, veteran wing Javonte Green played a total of three games with the Bulls this season.

Chicago’s front office must have liked what they saw in the Radford alum’s play, with Green getting signed for the rest of the NBA regular season, with the Bulls cutting Terry Taylor to free up a roster spot for Green with Chicago. This makes Green playoff eligible for the Bulls’ play-in tournament push and, if they win, beyond.

Speaking on a recent episode, the hosts of the “CHGO Bulls” podcast took a deep dive into the decision to bring back the veteran swingman, and what he adds to Chicago’s roster that was worth cutting loose a promising young prospect.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they hard to say.

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Why Chicago’s Alex Caruso is a clear-cut 2024 NBA First Team All-Defensive player

But will the Chicago guard get his just desserts from the voters?

It was no accident that there was so much interest around the NBA ahead of the league’s 2024 trade deadline for the services of veteran Chicago Bulls 3-and-D wing Alex Caruso. The Bulls shooting guard is Chicago’s Alex Caruso is a clear-cut 2024 NBA First Team All-Defensive player who can change the fortunes of the team he plays for with his lockdown defense and sharpshooting on the other end of the court.

But will the Chicago guard get his just desserts from the voters? Or will the stiff competition push him out of the picture for the full-season defensive honor to the Second Team All-Defensive team?

The hosts of the “Locked On Bulls” podcast, Haize and Pat the Designer, recently took some time to talk about Caruso’s amazing season on the defensive end of things on a recent episode.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about Caruso’s clamps in 2023-24.

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Should the Chicago Bulls target Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant?

For at least one league analyst, it is something that the Bulls at least ought to consider.

Should the Chicago Bulls target Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant to add an impact wing to their roster this coming 2024 NBA offseason? For at least one league analyst, it is something that the Bulls at least ought to consider. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently proposed that Chicago look to trade for the Blazers star this summer in a recent article.

Noting the limited assets that the Bulls have to add talent to the team in terms of both contracts and draft picks, Buckley suggests Grant, whose large contract makes him a less-desirable (but very good) player for many teams on the trade market. “The second Damian Lillard decided he was done with the … Blazers, Grant immediately looked overpaid and out of place,” the B/R analyst writes.

“The 30-year-old isn’t quite finished with the first season of the five-year, $160 million deal he signed last summer. That’s a massive amount of money for someone who never quite made it to stardom.”

“Portland wouldn’t just give him away, but it would have to factor that contract into its expected return,” he adds. “So, a protected future first could potentially headline the package to get Grant if the Bulls had the right sweeteners in that exchange.”

“It would be a risk, but if Chicago really wants this core to breakthrough, a high-end, two-way forward like Grant might be its best hope for doing so.”

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