Bulls' Top Needs in 2023 NBA Offseason
The Chicago Bulls may have already tipped their hands regarding which direction they'll take during the 2023 NBA offseason.
They previously shot down the notion of a rebuild, and they apparently meant it. They're already having extension conversations with Nikola Vučević, per The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania. Locking up Vučević, a 32-year-old with two All-Star selections, would effectively commit Chicago to this core and communicate a clear desire to compete next season.
To make that happen, though, the Bulls need to shore up some weak spots. The following three areas appear in particular need of attention this offseason.
Floor General
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The Bulls haven't been the same since losing Lonzo Ball to a knee injury in Jan. 2022. Considering he hasn't reappeared since and recently went back under the knife, there are reasons to worry he may never return.
Regardless of what Ball's future holds, though, Chicago clearly needs to make other plans at point guard. And no, re-signing any combination of Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Beverley wouldn't be nearly enough.
Assuming the Bulls plan to bring back Vučević, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, their roster puts significant and specific demands on their point guard. That player must be able to balance touches between the stars, maintain value off the ball, hold his own defensively (ideally at multiple spots) and push the tempo to find a few easy buckets when possible.
Ball was a brilliant connector at both ends. Chicago has yet to strike that same chemistry without him.
Shooting
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This season, 83 different players averaged at least two three-pointers per game. The Bulls had just one of them (LaVine, 2.6).
While a team that heavily features DeMar DeRozan is unlikely to ever rank among the Association's leaders in perimeter shooting, this entire team rarely ventured outside the arc. In fact, the Bulls were dead last in both three-pointers made and attempted.
It's hard to win in this modern, increasingly mathematical league without the benefits of the long ball. Among the bottom 10 teams in three-pointers made this season, only two made the playoffs: the Atlanta Hawks, who were in the play-in tournament, and the Los Angeles Lakers, another play-in participant who overhauled its roster at the trade deadline primarily to find more shooting.
The Bulls need more sharpshooters, both to up their three-point count and to give inside-the-arc scorers like DeRozan more room to operate.
Defensive Versatility
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It's a huge credit to this coaching staff and Chicago's role players that the Bulls had this season's fifth-most efficient defense, per NBA.com.
That's a big accomplishment for any club, but it's an almost unbelievable one for this group.
DeRozan, LaVine and Vučević all do their best work on the offensive end, and each has some limitations on defense. And these aren't just Chicago's best players, they're the ones logging the most floor time by far. All three cleared 33 minutes per night; no one else reached 29.
Assuming the Bulls plan to keep running with this Big Three, they'll forever be on the lookout for defensive-minded support players. And since at least three of their five starters will be less than elite stoppers, they need defenders who can kick around to multiple positions and silence whoever the opposition's top scoring threat is night after night.
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