The Chicago Bulls find themselves in a pickle after trading for Josh Giddey and failing to move Zach LaVine. However, the issue isn’t between those two, who should mesh well offensively.
Giddey, an intuitive playmaker, is the type of facilitator that the Bulls lacked without Lonzo Ball. LaVine is an All-Star-caliber scorer and upper echelon outside shooter. Together, they balance each other out. Chicago doesn’t have to rely on LaVine’s decision-making too much. They don’t have to hope Giddey is on a heater.
The problem is that, after his eye-opening 2023-24 campaign, the Bulls have to find out the best way to utilize Coby White. Should he start between Giddey and LaVine, despite the defensive concerns? Should he start over LaVine, though he’s not as effective a scorer?
Solving Bulls’ Zach LaVine-Coby White-Josh Giddey Conundrum
Here’s a hypothetical depth chart —
PG: Josh Giddey, Lonzo Ball*, Jevon Carter SG: Zach LaVine, Coby White, Chris Duarte*, Onuralp Bitim SF: Ayo Dosunmu, Torrey Craig, Dalen Terry PF: Patrick Williams, Matas Buzelis, Julian Phillips C: Nikola Vucevic, Jalen Smith
Looking at this, one issue sticks out like a broken thumb.
At center, the Bulls don’t seem to have enough depth. Even when considering that Adama Sanogo is on a two-way contract, it’s a bit disconcerting. The plan might be to move Nikola Vucevic down the line, but to do so without adding another center would be foolhardy. Lastly, because Matas Buzelis is 6-foot-10 and arguably their best shot-blocker, he may play up in the event of an injury to Vucevic or Jalen Smith.
In the end, the center depth is an issue that the front office needs to fix. There’s nothing that Bulls head coach Billy Donovan can really do to fortify it. However, the rest of the depth chart looks fine.
Patrick Williams isn’t living up to the expectations of a top-five draft pick. He doesn’t put enough pressure on the defense, with a career average of 9.7 points per game. Regardless, he’s an excellent 3-and-D player who will play a much needed role when he returns from injury. Until then, expect the dynamic but somewhat raw Buzelis to see plenty of floor time.
Buzelis could very well start alongside Williams. As another lottery pick, that may even be the Bulls’ hope for him. With his defensive upside, he and Williams would definitely make a difference at that end. Yet, with two starting guards who’ll need the ball in their hands, they need a better catch-and-shoot option.
In that event, Ayo Dosunmu could be the best choice, as he’s made at least 37 percent of his 3s in two of the three seasons he’s played. Torrey Craig has made over 39 percent of his 3s in back-to-back seasons. Nonetheless, he’s a career 35.3 percent 3-point shooter. On top of that, Dosunmu is a more promising scorer and better playmaker, but willingly accepts any role.
Ball may be healthy and available when the season starts. It at least sounds like the Bulls sound like they’re willing to give the floor general one last chance to resurrect his career in Chicago. Still, if he’s too rusty or his body fails him again, Jevon Carter is a decent point guard who can backup Giddey.
Then there’s the shooting guard corps.
A Unit Is About The Whole
LaVine, as previously stated, is one of the better wings in the NBA. For all the talk about his play style and whether his numbers translate to wins, he’s undeniably similar to Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker. To that point, the biggest difference between Booker now and back when his ability to turn stats into wins was constantly questioned is his supporting cast.
That isn’t to say that he, nor LaVine, has been completely devoid of star-caliber teammates. However, those pieces still have to fit. In LaVine’s case, stacking him with two iffy defenders in Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan was simply not a shrewd move. Now that the Bulls have multiple frontcourt players with defensive upside, his fortunes might change.
White may not be happy about another role change, that’s true. After the way he played in 2023-24, he might have even been expecting to start, whether at the 1 or 2. Yet, his play style, strengths, and weaknesses are all that of an archetypal sixth man.
He’s a streaky shooter. He’s a so-so facilitator. He doesn’t even have a true position, as he’s more of a combo of hybrid guard. Yet, he wants the ball in his hands. So, while he’s more reliable than LaVine defensively, he’s not a better fit in the first unit holistically.
