Halfway Where?

Posted on by rokdeezbullsblog

We’ve reached the halfway point of the 2024-’25 NBA Season, and the Bulls are squarely in the middle of another play-in race. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are playing inspired basketball, keeping games fun and close, pushing a supposedly tanking team straight to the pinnacle of mediocrity. And the futility of the effort is downright soul crushing.

This is yet another throw away season paving an endless road to rebuild a listless franchise. This was supposed to be a season in which the roster was overturned and a new direction chosen, but with less than 3 weeks left before the NBA Trade Deadline no change is in sight.

The Zach LaVine trade market has gone silent again, and it’s looking like we might have to “wait ’til next year” before the Bulls are able to move off of his contract. There is hope that Vucevic will be moved to the Golden State Warriors before the deadline, but it’s a slim hope. Comeback player of the year, Lonzo Ball, should also be available/sought after by teams, but I haven’t heard of any interested teams calling the Bulls about him. Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are the two players that could bring back the most for the Bulls in a trade, but I don’t want to trade either one of them, and seemingly neither does the front office.

It’s sad that the fan base of this once storied franchise has been reduced to waiting for trades that never happen, and hoping to tank for draft picks that never materialize.

What the hell are the Bulls doing?

Well, here are some of the positive things they’ve been doing this season…

  1. The Bulls are playing an up-tempo offense. They are 2nd in the league in pace according to NBA.com, and 2nd in three pointers made. It’s like they’re finally playing contemporary basketball. The shift in offensive mentality has really helped LaVine and Vooch, and has played to the strengths of players like Josh Giddey, Ayo Dosunmu, Jalen Smith, and Lonzo Ball. Unfortunately, Patrick Williams hasn’t really thrived in this setting. His numbers, which have always been pedestrian, are suffering in this speedy system.
  2. Lonzo Ball is looking like his old self. Whether or not the Bulls try to re-sign him this offseason, or trade him at the deadline, it’s really nice to see one of the brilliant basketball minds of the age back on the court and playing at a high level. Lonzo currently has the best single season plus/minus of his career (3.2) and the best single season Net Rating of his career (6.5). When he is on the court the Bulls are better in all facets of the game. Billy Donovan has recently been using Lonzo in his closing lineups of clutch games, and it might not be too long before he is a regular starter.
  3. The new players on the roster have played fairly well. I’m specifically thinking of Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Smith. While all three players have areas they need to improve on, *Ahem DEFENSE Ahem*, they all appear to be hardworking guys that care about getting better and doing what’s best for the team. Buzelis is going through some very normal rookie struggles, but his speed, athleticism, and defensive instincts all point to a bright future as a Bull. Giddey and Smith both have some defensive holes in their games, but each of these guys can rebound, and are up-tempo players. Giddey is working on his threes and Smith needs to add more strength, but overall I think they’ll help the team more than hurt it.
  4. Expectations for this Bulls team at the start of the season were not very high. Most experts (and the betting sites) had the Bulls winning about 27 games this season, and that might still happen, but with half the season already gone, and the Bulls sitting pretty with 18 wins under their belt, I get the feeling they’re going to hit the over on that bet. Heck, they might even make the play-in tournament. Considering the shift in offensive philosophy and overcoming some major defensive short comings inherent in the roster, I give a lot of credit to Billy Donovan and the coaching staff. If wins are what this franchise cares about, then I think the Bulls coaches are doing a great job wringing as many as they can out of this less than ideal roster.

There’s not a lot else to say about the Bulls. They are treading water. Halfway in a rebuild, halfway in contention, halfway through another season of half measures. They can’t be halfway there because they have no direction or destination. The Bulls are simply halfway where? Shrug emoji.

Until they figure some things out, thanks for reading, thanks for subscribing, and GO BULLS!