Chicago Bulls
The 2020-21 Chicago Bulls season can be defined by Zach LaVine becoming a first-time All-Star, a deadline trade for a second All-Star in Vooch, and by the fact that they still did not make the playoffs or even the play-in.
What did we learn?
The Bulls have accelerated their timeline.
Zach LaVine blossomed into the most efficient version of himself, posting numbers that completely changed the narrative surrounding his game. LaVine led the charge for the Bulls behind career-high numbers across the board: 27 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting 42 percent from 3 on a whopping 8.2 attempts per game. He made a lot more clutch shots, too. He still missed quite a few as well, but it’s no longer a forgone conclusion. Hell, if LaVine can make a few more three throws, he’s got a chance at being a coveted 50-40-90 guy. He finished this season with shooting splits of 50-42-85.
The Vooch trade gives LaVine more help, more firepower on offense, a pick-and-roll partner to ease the burden and add in some offensive variety. We did not get to see much of that after the deadline, however, thanks to a positive Covid test for LaVine at the most inopportune time. LaVine missing over two weeks in April combined with a tough schedule and a few other injuries equated to a Bulls record of 12-17 after the deadline. Instead of climbing the standings into the play-in, they were left on the outside looking in with a good (but bad) chance of losing their lottery pick to the Magic. (Narrator: They did lose that lottery pick to the Magic.)
LaVine will soon be due for an extension, and we know that the Bulls would not trade for Vooch without all intentions of keeping their guy in LaVine. So what else do we have here?
Rookie Pat Williams, only 19 years old, certainly had some moments that raised our eyebrows in a big way. We wish that Pat Willy would be more aggressive and take more shots, but there is a lot of talent there. The sky is the limit. (The ceiling is the roof?)
The Lauri Markkanen question is still very much a quandary. His health forever a concern, Markkanen missed another 21 games this season. But he did shoot a career-best 40 percent from 3, albeit mostly from catch-and-shoot spot-up looks. Markkanen still has a difficult time scoring off the dribble and was relegated to the second string for a large portion of the season. So much for the talk of him being a Finnish Unicorn two years ago. That appears to be long out the window. Markkanen is a restricted free agent, so this is question that will have to be answered sooner rather than later.
Year 2 of the backcourt fit between LaVine and Coby White is still suspect, especially on defense, but White can get red-hot shooting the ball. White, however, apparently suffered a basketball-related injury away from the team back in June and underwent shoulder surgery on June 10th, set to be re-evaluated in four months.
We enjoyed the bulls offense when it ran through Thaddeus Young at the top of the key, a fun wrinkle that Billy Donovan threw in. (By the way, it was a breath of fresh air without Jimbo around.) Thad Young is a well-traveled and well-liked vet, a no doubt positive influence and leader in the locker room here.
Ryan Arcidiacono’s man-bun was always a treat. Most notably when he and Rick Rubio were guarding each other for the rare and epic man-bun vs. man-bun matchup.
Daniel Theis, another pick up at the deadline but upcoming free agent, offers rim protection where Vooch cannot, but that’s a slow double-big lineup if Billy D plays them together in an age where most go for speedy and small.
The juniors, Otto Porter and Wendall Carter are both gone. They never found that Spring of 2019 post-trade deadline magic again. (But they found themselves on the Magic.)
Trading for Vooch pushes a lot of chips in, but this roster still has a lot of questions. There is a lot of work yet to be done for Bulls vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.
The time is now.
Tick tock.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
Under 30.5 wins. We want to pick the Over, but it doesn’t feel right.
Bulls 2020-21 Record: (31-41)
Nope, our preseason Over/Under prediction did not hit. So close.
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What’s Next?
No first round draft pick in a year when the draft is regarded as stacked is a tough pill to swallow. But at least Pat Williams looks like a sure keeper.
Free agency is imperative for Chicago who will have to sign at least five players just to complete a 13-man roster.
Archie has a $3M team option, so the eight Bulls under contract for 2021-22 are: LaVine, Vooch, Thad Young, Satoransky, Pat Williams, Coby White, Troy Brown Jr. and Al-Farouq Aminu.
At the least, the Bulls could try to swing a sign-and-trade if they elect not to bring back Markkanen. We are forever of the mindset that you should try to get something in return for your asset instead of letting it walk for nothing.
Sato did not really do as much as we thought he would here, and the numbers do show a dip in production. How about more of this where he hits a game-winner for the Czech Republic over Canada? Wait a second… that looks like an impression of Zach LaVine!
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Favorite Bulls Highlight from the 2020-21 Season:
“GIMME THE HOT SAUCE, ZACH!!!”
