Bulls Players Who Have to Elevate Their Game in 2023
Two months into the 2022-23 NBA campaign, the Chicago Bulls are going through it.
Sure, they've won back-to-back games, but they still have a losing record in December (4-6) and for the season (13-18). They recently allowed the Minnesota Timberwolves, a squad that has similarly disappointed, to net 150 points in regulation. During halftime of that contest, there were "several loud blowups" in the locker room, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
It might go without saying, then, that a number of players have fallen short of expectations and must turn things around going forward. However, the following three players loom as particularly important to get back on track.
Ayo Dosunmu
1 of 3
Last season, Dosunmu, then a second-round rookie, did an incredible job of stepping in for an injured Lonzo Ball and preventing the floor from completely bottoming out.
Ball remains sidelined by the same knee trouble, but Dosunmu has had a harder time covering up that absence.
His three-point shooting has tailed off, falling from 37.6 percent to 32.9. He's logging nearly as many minutes (26.3, was 27.4), but his assists have declined from 3.3 to 2.7. The Bulls have been 11 points worse per 100 possessions when he's on the floor, per NBA.com.
His floor time has been trimmed recently, and he has to up his production to force the coaching staff to reconsider.
Zach LaVine
2 of 3
LaVine is still a matter of months removed from inking a five-year, $215 million max contract, and it's fair to wonder whether the Bulls are already feeling buyer's remorse.
He ominously sat out Chicago's first two outings with a nagging knee injury and hasn't been as effective of a scoring threat since returning. Last season, he averaged 24.4 points on 47.6/38.9/85.3 shooting. Now, he's down to 21.7 points on 44.7/36.6/82.4 shooting. His .066 win shares per 48 minutes are his fewest since 2018-19, per Basketball-Reference. His barely-above-average 16.4 player efficiency rating is his worst in five seasons.
Oh, and remember those blowups we mentioned? They were reportedly directed at LaVine for his defense—or lack thereof, rather, per Cowley.
This maybe isn't quite the worst-case scenario for the first season of a max deal, but it's not at all what the Bulls wanted—or needed—to see.
Coby White
3 of 3
White's arrival as the seventh overall pick in 2019 suggested he held cornerstone potential in Chicago.
Three-plus seasons later, though, he has never seemed farther removed from the franchise's plans. His 20.7 minutes per outing are easily the fewest of his career. Ditto for his 8.0 points, 1.9 assists and 33 three-point percentage.
At this rate, it feels like a change of scenery would serve him best, but these sagging stats aren't helping his trade value. Neither does the fact he'll need a new contract next offseason when he'll be a restricted free agent.
He had previously flashed quick-strike scoring and fiery shooting. Throw in that he's only 22 years old, and maybe the right rebuilder would covet him as a reclamation project. If Chicago traded him, though, it probably wanted him to anchor or at least sweeten a spot. At this point, he's more of a cheap flier likely only to elicit low-ball offers.
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