On The Road Again

Posted on by rokdeezbullsblog

The Chicago Bulls finished up their last 5 games of their homestand (not including a little break in Milwaukee) with a loss to the Miami Heat. Their record over the last 6 games was an entirely predictable 2-4, and I say that having predicted it in my November 12th post, Please Win.

If you’re a long time reader of my blog, you know that I am very rarely right in my predictions, which makes this stretch of losses supremely frustrating. If I’m able to predict what’s happening on the court, then this Bulls team is in dire straits, and needs a shake up.

The Bulls will spend the next 4 games on the road, traveling to Oklahoma City, Toronto, Brooklyn, and Boston, before getting back to Chicago and the United Center. Maybe some time on the road is just what the doctor ordered for this squad. We’ll see.

Bye, Bye, Buy?

The Zach LaVine trade request drama continues to play out.

Despite the Bulls recent lack of offensive effort in the 1st quarter and half of games, LaVine has been taking noticeably fewer shots. To his credit he has been turning it on in the 2nd half, and has been instrumental in helping the team climb out of some truly hellacious deficits, but they need his scoring throughout the game, not just the second half.

Rumors are now swirling about a few more teams that might be interested in a LaVine trade, including the Toronto Raptors and the Sacramento Kings. Both teams have good, young players and some draft capital to offer the Bulls, and if I were in the front office, I’d probably entertain offers from both of those teams before sending LaVine to L.A. or Philadelphia. But that’s just me.

Alex Caruso Is The Best Player On The Bulls

I’m not even being hyperbolic. When it comes to the numbers, Caruso has the best Win Share on the team right now, 1.3, a tick over DeMar DeRozan at 1.2, and several ticks above 3rd place Zach LaVine at 0.9. You all know how much I love Win Share, I track it every season. If you prescribe to PIE (Player Impact Estimate) over Win Share, Caruso has the top PIE at a 49.6 for Bulls players that have played more than 300 minutes.

From the on/off splits with Caruso in certain lineups, to his shooting .500 from 3 point land (3.2 attempts per game), he is not just a defensive stopper and specialist. Alex Caruso is an all-around dynamo and if the Bulls can’t take advantage of having this special player on the roster, they need to trade him for a kings (or Kings, hint hint) ransom. Seriously, while LaVine might net the most players in a trade, it’s quite possible that Caruso could land a plethora of future picks. If the Bulls decide to truly blow things up and rebuild, it might be the trade of Alex Caruso that sets the future foundation for the next great Bulls team.

1 Observation from the Bulls Disasterous Homestand

  1. This team isn’t very good. Even before LaVine decided to back out the door (without taking any shots), DeRozan has been showing his age, Nikola Vucevic, in a non-contract year, has suspiciously forgotten how to hit shots, and Patrick Williams continues to slide down Billy Donovan’s depth chart. This has not been a good season for Chicago Bulls Basketball, and this latest dud of a homestand was the perfect encapsulation of the ongoing futility and hopelessness that has become a habit for this once proud organization.

Maybe this upcoming road trip really will help refocus the Bulls, or at least give us fans a break.

Until it does, thanks for reading, thanks for subscribing, and GO BULLS!