The Chicago Bulls appear to be unsure of who they are. Chicago’s brass seemingly thinks they are a contender in the Eastern Conference, but their last two seasons don’t bear that out. The Bulls are 117-119 under fourth-year head coach Billy Donovan, including finishing tenth in the conference with a 40-42 record last year. They beat the Toronto Raptors in the first play-in game before falling to the Miami Heat to miss out on the final playoff spot.
2023-24 NBA Power Rankings Offseason Edition: No. 19 Chicago Bulls
Chicago’s biggest problem in the future is that they struggled despite being healthy. DeMar DeRozan played in 74 games, Zach LaVine in 77, and Nikola Vucevic appeared in all 82 contests. The Bulls were 37-37 in games that DeRozan played and two games under .500 in contests with LaVine. On a positive note, Chicago won 14 of their final 23 games with a +5.3 scoring margin.
Given Chicago’s Big Three and offensive prowess, it may surprise fans that they ranked 24th in the NBA in offensive ranking last season. A big reason for this was that the Bulls ranked dead last in three-point makes and attempts. They were in the bottom ten in free throw attempts (26th) and free throw makes (21st). They were also 20th in assists and 28th in offensive rebound percentage.
Chicago can take solace in that they were an outstanding shooting team. The Bulls ranked fourth in field goal percentage, 16th in three-point percentage, and fifth in free throw percentage. They were eighth in turnovers.
If the Bulls can improve their offensive efficiency, maybe they can make some headway, as they were excellent defensively. They were fifth in defensive rating as they defended well and kept opponents off the free-throw line. However, Chicago needs to defend the three-point line better.
However, Chicago didn’t do anything this offseason to move the needle, which is why they are No. 19 in my power rankings. Plus, the Bulls won’t again have the services of the injured Lonzo Ball. It is also conceivable that the Bulls will trade LaVine and DeRozan if they start slowly.
Offseason Moves
Chicago’s two most significant moves this offseason were re-signing Coby White and Ayo Dosunmo. Both were expected and quality moves. The Bulls also inked free agents Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig. Not having a draft pick of their own, they acquired second-round pick Julian Phillips. Also, Onuralp Bitim, Justin Lewis, and Adama Sanogo occupy the Bulls’ two-way spots.
Phillips shot the ball well in his four summer league appearances. The 19-year-old athletic forward averaged 8.8 points on 52% shooting from the field and was 4-of-9 (44.4%) from deep.
Bitim has been playing in Turkey professionally since 2017. The 24-year-old wing is an outstanding shooter, scorer, and playmaker. Although, ballhandling and defense are issues for him. Bitim was on the Bulls’ summer league roster but didn’t appear in a game.
Lewis went undrafted out of Marquette, but the 21-year-old forward signed a two-way contract with the Bulls. However, he got injured during training camp last year and was ultimately cut due to his inability to play. Lewis re-signed with the club in March and compiled nine points and eight rebounds in 28 total minutes over two games of summer league action.
Sanogo, the 2023 MOP, went undrafted out of UConn, but the 21-year-old center had an excellent summer league campaign with the Bulls. In five appearances, Sanogo posted 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1 block while shooting 65.7% from the field.
Best Offseason Decision: Signing Jevon Carter
While keeping White and Dosunmo was critical for the Bulls this offseason, signing Carter was their best decision. He is a veteran point guard who doesn’t turn the ball over often and shoots it well from beyond the arc. The 27-year-old is coming off a career season with the Milwaukee Bucks and gets after it on the defensive end.
Carter averaged a career-best 8 points and 1.8 threes with a shooting slash line of 42/42/82 last season. He also dished out 2.4 assists and averaged 1 turnover over 23 minutes in 81 appearances. Carter is an excellent ballhandler and nearly a career 40% shooter from downtown.
Worst Offseason Decision: Not Bringing in a Shooter
Chicago’s lack of shooters really hurt the team last year. The Bulls averaged a league-worst 10.4 treys on just 28.9 attempts. However, when the Bulls did shoot it from long distance, they knocked them down at a 36.1% clip, which ranked 16th in the league.
Granted, bringing in Carter and Craig helps the Bulls in that department a little, but neither moves the needle. Carter is a legitimate three-point threat. However, the Bulls could have brought in Seth Curry, Joe Ingles, or Malik Beasley.
What’s Next? Add a Big Man
Chicago has 14 players on standard contracts. But two players are youngsters who likely won’t get much time with the Bulls as long as they are competitive are Carlik Jones and Phillips. Jones owns a nonguaranteed deal that becomes fully guaranteed on January 10.
I would be surprised if the Bulls released Jones before the season, as he is the reigning G League MVP. However, they need a backup power forward or center, as Andre Drummond is the lone true big man on their roster. DeRozan, Craig, and Patrick Williams are the Bulls’ main four men though DeRozan is more of a small forward while Craig is undersized at power forward.
