Tag: 2023-24 Chicago Bulls

Why the Chicago Bulls lack of success this season is not on Billy Donovan

You can blame the many road bumps the Chicago Bulls have had to deal with this season on a lot of things – but not Billy.

You can blame the many road bumps the Chicago Bulls have had to deal with this season on a lot of things. To start, the front office has done little to make the team better, and seems as averse to making trades as to spending money.

The players who are on the Bulls’ roster are by and large good players, but with Lonzo Ball out for literally years now and Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams joining him on the bench for the season certainly has not helped. But if there is a blame pie being baked, very little of it ought to be apportioned to Chicago head coach Billy Donovan.

To break down why this is the case, the hosts of the “CHGO Bulls” podcast put together a short from one of their recent episodes.

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

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DeMar DeRozan has earned another NBA deal – but will it be with the Chicago Bulls?

What does he value late in his career, and how many years is he looking for in his next deal? 

Fans of the Chicago Bulls were confused when the team’s front office elected to stand pat instead of trading away players on expiring deals like Andre Drummond and DeMar DeRozan. But it seems the Bulls hope to re-sign DeRozan at least, and the veteran wing has more than earned another lucrative deal in the NBA. But what if it is not with Chicago?

To talk it over on a recent episode, the host of the “Chicago Bulls Central” podcast, Haize, broke down the dynamics at play in any return of DeRozan to Chicago next season. How much could he get in free agency? Does he even want to return to such a situation? What does he value late in his career, and how many years is he looking for in his next deal?

Most importantly, could he end up getting poached by another ball club?

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear Haize’s thoughts on the matter.

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Chicago Bulls reportedly still looking to trade Zach LaVine this summer

LaVine may well yet end up on another roster by the end of the 2024 NBA offseason.

When it became clear that star Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine would not be suiting up again this season, the trade market for the UCLA alum dried up in a hurry. But now, with rumbles that Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball might be back on the court by next season, is the team’s notoriously conservative front office done trying to trade LaVine?

According to some analysts in the know, LaVine may well yet end up on another roster by the end of the 2024 NBA offseason. If true, what does this mean about the direction the team is trying to take?

Speaking on a recent episode, the hosts of the “Locked On Bulls” podcast, Haize and Pat the Designer, weighed in on rumbles about moving on from LaVine.

Check out the clip embedded above to hear what the duo thinks the team’s front office will do about the LaVine situation this summer.

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Bulls seen as ‘too old’ to be a dangerous play-in tournament team

In fairness, the sort of teams Bailey sees as a “dangerous” play-in team include clubs that would likely be favored vs. the Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls have leaned into their youth movement since losing Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams for the season. But it is the players on the other end of the team’s age curve who are putting the Bulls outside the ball clubs expected to be a threat from the play-in tournament ranks this season, per Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey.

Putting Chicago squarely with the squads he calls “no-chancers,” for the Bulls, in the B/R analyst’s estimation, “a deep playoff run (which we’ll define, perhaps arbitrarily, as a conference finals appearance) just isn’t in the cards” due to the age of some of Chicago’s top players.

Other “no-chancer” teams include the Indiana Pacers (“too young” for Bailey), Atlanta Hawks (“too Hawks,” he notes vaguely, yet we all somehow understand), Brooklyn Nets (“probably won’t even be in the play-in”), Sacramento Kings (“the toughest cut”) and Houston Rockets (“too young”).

In fairness, the sort of teams Bailey sees as a “dangerous” play-in team include clubs like the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, and Philadelphia 76ers, all of whom would likely be favored vs. the Bulls.

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Are the Chicago Bulls a legit team for the 2024 NBA Playoffs?

Winners of six of their last 10 contests, the Bulls are trending up at the exact moment they needed to be.

Are the Chicago Bulls a legit team for the 2024 NBA Playoffs? Winners of six of their last 10 contests, the Bulls are trending up at the exact moment they needed to be in order to have a shot at the play-in tournament. Is there a realistic path from there into the actual postseason for Chicago?

While it is too late to make up a 5-game deficit in the standings to get out of play-in range, if the Bulls were to maintain position until the end of the regular season, they might just be able to pull it off with a bit of luck.

To break the possibilities down on a recent episode, the cohost of the “Locked On Bulls” podcast, Pat the Designer, took some time to talk us through the range of possibilities,

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

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Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu has a career night for Chicago vs. the Washington Wizards

Coby White is not the only guard who has been growing as a player in the Bulls’ snake bit season.

Much of the buzz coming out of the Chicago Bulls in recent weeks has been the big step forward made by backup point guard Coby White, who has made the most of his expanded opportunities after the season-ending injury to star guard Zach LaVine.

But White is not the only guard who has been growing as a player in the Bulls’ snake bit season, with other players capitalizing on getting their numbers called. Reserve guard Ayo Dosunmu has also been looking good — and he just had himself a career night in Chicago’s win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.

In a recent video breaking down Dosunmu’s big night, the folks behind the “Bulls Central” YouTube channel had plenty to say about his unexpected development as a player.

Check it out for yourself in the clip embedded above to hear what it means for the Bulls’ future, bit short-term and long.

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Will the Chicago Bulls look to trade Zach LaVine in the NBA’s 2024 offseason?

It might be wise to re-allocate some of LaVine’s considerable cap hit to multiple young players better suited for a retooling roster.

Will the Chicago Bulls look to trade star guard Zach LaVine in the NBA’s 2024 offseason? Or will they see how the emergence of players like Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White mesh together with the UCLA alum playing alongside them in larger roles than in the past?

On one hand, it seems as if the market for LaVine’s services was rather limited ahead of the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline, but it is also a lot harder to trade for a player on a large salary in the middle of a season. On the other, it might be wise to re-allocate some of LaVine’s considerable cap hit to multiple young players better suited for a retooling roster.

Veteran Bulls beat writer KC Johnson weighed in on what he thinks the Bulls are going to do on a recent episode of NBC Sports Chicago’s “Bulls Talk” podcast.

Take a look at the clip above to get his take on LaVine and Chicago’s future together.

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How DeMar DeRozan’s recent play impacts his future with the Chicago Bulls

Could both parties know something about the future of their relationship the rest of us do not?

The Chicago Bulls surprised fans and analysts both when the team’s front office let the 2024 NBA trade deadline come and go without making an effort to move on from looming free agents who might leave the ball club this summer for nothing, including star veteran wing DeMar DeRozan.

But since, then, neither DeRozan nor the Bulls seem especially concerned about getting a deal done, hinting both parties may know something about the future of their relationship the rest of us do not. DeRozan’s recent play in particular could boost his stock as a free agent — or could make the Bulls look brilliant if they can get DeRozan re-signed on a quality contract.

On a recent episode, the hosts of the “CHGO Bulls” podcast weighed in on what they think will go down in free agency with the Chicago veteran.

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

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Chicago rookie Julian Phillips out indefinitely with foot sprain

With just over a month left in Chicago’s 2023-24 campaign, Phillips’ season is done for all intents and purposes.

The Chicago Bulls dodged the injury bullet with guard Coby White’s recent hip injury, but the team’s back injury luck this season continued with word that Bulls small forward Julian Phillips will be out indefinitely with a foot sprain. And while sprains are typically not season ending injuries, with just over a month left in Chicago’s 2023-24 campaign, Phillips’ season is done for all intents and purposes.

The Tennessee alum had been seeing bigger minutes with the Bulls since the end of the month of January, which saw the Texan wing put up 3.9 points, and 1.4 rebounds per game over 12.4 minutes of floor time.

On a recent episode, the host of the “Chicago Bulls Central” podcast, Haize, broke down what this means for Chicago’s playoff push and Phillips’ development in light of Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, and, in particular, Patrick Williams all being out hurt as well.

Check it out in the clip embedded above.

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Were we all wrong about the Chicago Bulls’ front office plan for the team?

It is still early in the process to tell, but so far, the Bulls’ front office seems to be making good decisions.

At the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline, the Chicago Bulls‘ front office elected to stand pat for the third trade deadline in a row. They quickly found themselves the subject of ridicule and ire from fans and league analysts both as a result.

Fast-forward most of a month later, and the Bulls are actually playing well and growing as a ball club. Were we all wrong about the Chicago Bulls’ front office plan for the storied franchise? Guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are thriving with their new opportunities in front of them. Recently elevated two way player to regular roster wing Onuralp Bitim has been validating the move to make him a full member of the team.

It is still early in the process to tell, but so far, the Bulls’ front office seems to be making good decisions after all, at least based on the limited returns we have to judge them by.

The folks behind the “CHGO Bulls” podcast recently weighed in on this question on a recent episode. Check it out above!

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