The Chicago Bulls clinched the honor of hosting the Atlanta Hawks in the Play-In Tournament next week. A win would then send them to either Philly or Miami, where they would have the right to steal the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. I’m sure the Bulls’ brain trust will find a way to put a positive spin on whatever outcome occurs.
The United Center got to host its first Play-In game, which the fans loved! We won a Play-In game for the second year in a row despite our injuries! We made the playoffs for the second year in a row, which shows us we’re really close!
In reality, sans a remarkable playoff series victory, there isn’t anything that can be done to convince me that mass roster change isn’t a necessity. But that likely won’t stop the front office from trying! I’ve been mentally preparing myself for this disappointment for months, so I might as well try to relish in the last bit of basketball we get this season before a long summer. It won’t be easy, but I’ll try!
I was worried the Chicago Bulls would find a way to let the 13-win Detroit Pistons hang around (again), especially after they shot upwards of 50.0 percent in the first half. But they didn’t! Both Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan looked motivated to avoid another embarrassment. They combined for a staggering 66 points on 26-43 shooting. We also saw the two combined for 15 rebounds and 11 assists. As far as I’m concerned, this is precisely what we’ll have to see next week in the Play-In Tournament. The whole point of building a team around veteran All-Stars is for them to take charge late in the season. They’ve struggled to do that in the past, but they now have another opportunity.
I still can’t believe what Javonte Green is doing. He went from playing 10 games in the G-League to starting three straight games for the Bulls with ease. Seriously, take a look at his stats from the last four games …
Have the Bulls’ load of injuries opened the door for Green to slide right into some significant minutes? Yes. But he’s also sprinted with the opportunity. Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald also made a great – and concerning – point about just how impactful Green has been. The Bulls spent $8.7 million on Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig … only for Green to steal their minutes and have a great influence on the game. On the one hand, that says a lot about how good Green has been. On the other hand, it feels like another strong indictment of this front office.
One of the many frustrating things about this #Bulls season: They spent about $8.7 million to sign Jevon Carter & Torrey Craig, only to have Javonte Green, who they could have had for minimum, jump in and make a bigger impact than either one…— Mike McGraw (@McGrawDHSports) April 12, 2024
We’re bound to see some players in street clothes over the next few games. With the No. 9 seed locked into place, there are a few guys who deserve some extra rest. The obvious name is DeMar DeRozan, who continues to lead the NBA in total minutes played behind only Domantas Sabonis. White and Alex Caruso should also be on the list. White sits third among players in minutes played this year. Meanwhile, Caruso is a madman who must be protected at all costs. If he doesn’t NEED to be out there, then saving him from himself feels like the best way to approach these next two games.
Speaking of Caruso, the guard also surpassed the 65-game threshold on Thursday night and is now officially eligible for All-Defensive honors. While he’s played 70 games total this year, several of those didn’t count because he failed to reach 20 total minutes played due to injuries. Regardless, with the box now officially checked, I would expect him to earn his second-straight All-Defense First Team honor. Anything short of that would be a big mistake by the voters, in my opinion.
Great video that demonstrates both Caruso’s intellect and tenacity.
"Alex Caruso is a teammate's dream on the defensive end of the floor."
Looking for some Chicago Bulls summer gear? HOMAGE has some shorts on sale right now, which you can check out here!
According to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, Kentucky never “aggressively” pursued Billy Donovan this week for their head coach opening. Does that mean it was all a smoke screen? Or did they get the tip from his camp that he simply wasn’t interested? If we’re taking the head coach at his word, he sure didn’t sound too eager to leave the NBA earlier this week.
The Pope news comes with this context, via multiple sources: UK did not aggressively pursue Billy Donovan at any point over the past four days, sources told CBS Sports. Was also told there was no contact with Rick Pitino.— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 12, 2024
I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue to say it: My irritation with this franchise has nothing to do with the guys. This seems like a fun locker room, and I just wish that translated more to the floor.
Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.
Marc Eversley has been connected to another front-office opening. The Chicago Bulls' GM was recently mentioned as a leading candidate for the Charlotte Hornets' head of basketball operations gig. The organization went on to hire Jeff Peterson from the Brooklyn...
In February, I caught wind of a crazy Andre Drummond stat. The big man was averaging 8.7 rebounds per game despite playing around 17.0 minutes a night. I dug into the Stathead database to see whether or not any other...
Our TV broke over this past weekend. How? Great question! Despite being no more than four years old, it suddenly refused to turn on. We'd get some jolts of sound and a few flashes of black on the screen, but...
Fifteen years ago today, a Chicago Bulls legend was born. Paul Pierce drove to the middle of the floor in the third OT. As he looked to send the ball into the corner, Joakim Noah was right there to bat...
Due to his season-ending foot injury, Zach LaVine became an afterthought to finish out the regular season. But that's about to change. Arguably the biggest talking point around the Chicago Bulls this offseason will be the future of LaVine. One...
The excitement of the NBA Playoffs is gripping the league, but with the regular season behind us and the teams vying for the championship determined, draft night takes on a whole new level of importance. Now that the non-playoff teams...
The more I watch the NBA playoffs, the more I think about how many players on the Chicago Bulls' roster probably deserve to be there. To be sure, the team as a whole doesn't belong in the postseason. We can...
Jamal Murray ended the Los Angeles Lakers season on Monday night. The Denver Nuggets star lived up to his playoff persona in Game 4, scoring 32 points with 7 assists in 41 minutes of action. Murray had 12 of those...
According to NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson, the Chicago Bulls will be in the market for a new Director of Performance Health. Chip Schaefer and the Chicago Bulls have reportedly parted ways after a disappointing season that ended in a...
The Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James isn't going anywhere. In fact, it might now be more contentious than ever before. The Athletic recently released its annual anonymous player survey. Among the many questions was "who is the greatest player of...
The San Francisco Giants (14-17) are the underdogs on the moneyline (-107) in Thursday's contest against the Boston Red Sox (18-13). The game starts at 1:35 PM ET on NBCS-BA. The Giants are favored against the spread in this one...
There are six matchups on today's MLB schedule, including the New York Yankees playing the Baltimore Orioles.MLB prop bets for Thursday's games are available, so if you're interested in placing a bet or building a parlay, you'll find those MLB...
Carlos Rodon takes the mound for the New York Yankees (20-12) when they visit starter Cole Irvin and the Baltimore Orioles (19-11) at 1:05 PM ET on Thursday.Keep reading to find out how to watch the New York-Baltimore matchup below.When...
The Chicago Cubs (19-12) are the underdogs on the moneyline (-105) in Thursday's contest against the New York Mets (15-15). The game starts at 1:10 PM ET on SNY. The Cubs are favored against the spread in this one (1.5)...
Two of the league's top power hitters will meet Thursday when the New York Yankees (20-12) and Baltimore Orioles (19-11) take the field at 1:05 PM ET, live on MLB Network. Juan Soto has eight home runs for the Yankees...
The New York Yankees (20-12) and the Baltimore Orioles (19-11) meet on Thursday at 1:05 PM ET. The contest will take place at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.The Yankees will look to Carlos Rodon (2-1) versus the Orioles and Cole...
The New York Mets (15-15) and the Chicago Cubs (19-12) match up on Thursday at 1:10 PM ET. The contest will be held at Citi Field.This contest's pitching matchup is set, as the Mets will send Adrian Houser (0-3) to...
Following a stretch of four consecutive wins, the Boston Red Sox (18-13) face the San Francisco Giants (14-17) at 1:35 PM ET on Thursday.The Red Sox will give the ball to Josh Winckowski (1-1, 3.50 ERA), who is eyeing win...
The Texas Rangers (16-15) play at home against the Washington Nationals (15-15) on Thursday. The game is set to start at 2:35 PM ET.The Rangers will give the nod to Nathan Eovaldi (1-2, 3.00 ERA), who is eyeing win No....
The Cleveland Cavaliers are 4-point underdogs in a decisive Game 6 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on Friday, starting at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN. The Cavaliers hold a 3-2...
NEWSLETTER
