Hello. Welcome back to Throwback Thursday. It’s been a minute. Let’s try something new. By new meaning old. Old as in let’s write something. So instead of posting something about an antiquated technology or discontinued food or beverage, we’re going to write an original. There may still be a link to information about an old thing below the body of the post, so stay engaged and click through if you are still interested in that sort of thing, but that will be an if-you’re-so-struck. If possible, the old thing of the week may tie in with the rest of the post, if that further entices you, the reader.
Anywho, this week let’s talk about the Chicago Bulls. A bit of a throwback in and of themselves, honestly. I don’t know the last time I talked about the Bulls, or at least enjoyed talking about the Bulls. You? With any sort of optimism? Last fall? When there was hope the team could build off the successes of 2021-22. When the team was better than expected and seemingly competitive in the Eastern Conference following the teaming up of Zack Lavine, Demar Derozan, and Nikola Vucevic. When it appeared as though the Bulls may have found their own mini-Big 3. Maybe not a Big 3 capable of winning a championship. Obviously not one on the same level as the Golden State Warriors or the Los Angeles Lakers or the Brooklyn Nets (when there was optimism about that team) or the Boston Celtics or the etc., etc., etc. The Bulls were fairly obviously not an elite team. They were never going to win a championship as constructed. But, but…
If you squinted you could see it. Another year of Lavine, Derozan, and Vucevic playing together. Improvement from Patrick Williams. Lonzo Ball comes back healthy. Alex Caruso staying healthy. Second year jump from Ayo Dosunmu. Coby White could be good. Javonte Green is fun. Derrick Jones, Jr. had probably given the team more than anticipated. Maybe he could do it again. Add some shooting. Add some interior defense and rebounding. You could see it. You could really almost see it.
And then now. 2022-23. Just no. Zack Lavine is who he is, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He’s really good. Is he one of the best players in the NBA? No. Derozan was largely the same as the year prior, but a year older. And now another year older. Do you build a team around a to-be 34 year old guard? No. Vucevic is also a very good player. He’s also a free agent. Do you bring back a player with a very specific skillset who requires very specific types of plyers around him to be most successful for a team stuck in the middle, seeking an identity? Maybe? At best, maybe. Patrick Williams really didn’t seem to develop. Dosunmu took a step back. Green and Jones, Jr. both had injury issues and showed they kind of are who they were prior to joining the Bulls, serviceable players off the bench but nothing more. Lonzo Ball may never play basketball again. Caruso. Alex Caruso, still with injury issues, was the highlight. And that’s good, but also kind of bad and sad.
That is the Chicago Bulls. Bad and sad. Well, actually that may be a bit harsh. Mediocre. That’s about the right level. Mediocre. That is a 40-42 season, 9th seed in the East, losing a play-in game to make the actual NBA playoffs. A game in which they were obviously the worse team. Mediocrity. Which in many ways is worse than bad. If they were bad maybe they would still have a 1st round draft pick this year. If they were bad maybe the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, Arturas Karnisovas, would not be talking about bringing it all back next year. Rebuild is not a word they use or even think of. They’ll bring everyone back, find ways to improve. They will be better next year.
How? Not counting Vucevic they have 10 players under contract for next season already. Vucevic obviously makes 11. If the Bulls do bring back Vucevic at let’s say something similar to his last contract and do not trade or release any of the other 10 players under contract they will be approximately $6.5 million over the salary cap. You need another 4 players. Do the Bulls want to bring back Dosunmu? Do they want to bring back Coby White? Can they afford to bring them back? Of course they can, but do they want to afford it? How far do the Bulls want to go into the luxury tax in order to bring back Dosunmu and/or White? Or any others decent players for that matter? Chris Paul just got released.* Do the Bulls want to go after him? How much would it cost to sign him?
Better question: how much of a difference would Chris Paul make? Lavine, Derozan, Vucevic, and Chris Paul. Bring back Coby White as the 6th man. Try to find some way to bring in some shooting and interior defense and rebounding this offseason (which they neglected to do the offseason prior). Is that as good as Lavine, Derozan, Vucevic, Ball, and 2021-22 Coby White? Better? How much better? Good enough to beat the Celtics or Bucks? Beat the Lakers? Warriors? Nuggets? Heat? Kings? Grizzlies? Suns? You see where this is going. The Bulls make the playoffs with that core. How far do they go? Eastern Conference Finals? NBA Finals? Do they win a championship? Maybe they can get close, give themselves a shot. But if they don’t win next year, do they try again in 2024-25? Derozan a year older, also a free agent in 2024 and would need a new contract. Paul a year older. 2025-26? Give them 3 years? Bring in Chris Paul on a 3-year contract now. Extend Derozan two years to 2026. Vucevic on a 3-year deal until 2026. By whic time Lavine will also be 31. Then where are you at in 2026?
Where the Chicago Bulls are at in 2026 is where they should be now. Bad. Again, not mediocre. Bad. The Bulls need to be bad. Really bad.
At this point there may be people asking where is the hope? Where is this hope from the headline? It’s there. In that previous paragraph. Hope that the Bulls will be bad. It’s right there. The Bulls have reportedly been doing their due diligence on draft prospects, including projected top-5 pick Scoot Henderson. The Bulls have no draft picks in 2023. So yes, it’s just good business to scout potential prospects just in case, but maybe it’s not just in case? Maybe the Bulls are planning something? Trades? Sign and trade Vucevic? Trade Derozan? Trade Lavine? Get rid of 2 of the Big 3? All 3? Try to get something for Patrick Williams? Go into the 2023-24 season with a starting lineup of Andre Drummond, Patrick Williams, Lavine, Scoot Henderson, and…someone at power forward? That’s pretty bad. Not as bad as if you can trade Lavine as well. But bad. Don’t bring back Coby White (even though they should if they can, start him if Lavine is gone, or start Caruso with White still off the bench). Bad starting lineup. No depth. Guarantee yourself a high lottery pick. Start over. Be bad.
Be bad. The hope is they can be bad. That Karnisovas is trying some sort of smokescreen. They’ll run it back unless they get good offers. Take the offers. Seek out offers. Not even good offers. Decent offers. Because the offers won’t be as good next year. Or the year after. Or the year after. Your players are not gaining value. They lost value over the past year. After next season they will lose more if the next is similar to the last. And it will be. Maybe better. But not good. And slightly better mediocrity is still mediocrity.
Be bad, Chicago Bulls. Be hopefully bad.
*Chris Paul has maybe not been released. So maybe forget that entire part. Which is actually worse for the Bulls current plan and makes the whole “be bad” argument more tenable.
And now, an old thing:
Armchair Midrash 