All about the kids
On the Bulls
The Bulls won’t score 116 points on 51.6 percent shooting every night, as they did Friday in a wild overtime loss to the Pacers.
Zach LaVine won’t always sink monstrous 3pointers as if he’s launching them in one of Jamal Crawford’s pickup games in their hometown of Seattle. There will be nights Lauri Markkanen will shoot 6-for-20, as opposed to the 11-for-20 he connected on Friday. And Kris Dunn’s 17 assists were a career-high for a reason.
But in assessing the Bulls at midseason, which they’ll officially reach Wednesday in Portland, Ore., it’s hard to discount what occurred in Game No. 39 — loss or not.
LaVine took 21 shots and Markkanen 20, setting a template for proper shot distribution from the team’s best scorers. Dunn looked to facilitate early and throughout, then sank two crucial 3-pointers late in regulation and dunked all over Myles Turner late in overtime on his way to 16 points.
Wendell Carter Jr. played confidently — and logged more than 42 minutes — in flirting with his double-double. Even Chandler Hutchison — in his fourth start but first alongside the four other firstround picks ages 25 or younger who represent the Bulls’ future — showed flashes of solid defense.
“We need to see growth. We need to see how they play,” executive vice president John Paxson said of the young core. “We’ve got to find a way offensively to get some easier shots and get guys to find some comfort zone. That’s what the rest of this season is about.”
The early widespread injuries and management’s decision to move from Fred Hoiberg to Jim Boylen on Dec. 3 make the first half almost pointless to parse. It’s all about the second half.
And with Bobby Portis returning from his sprained right ankle for Sunday’s home matinee against the Nets, Boylen could get the healthy roster for a long stretch — minus crucial reserve Denzel Valentine, who’s out for the season — that Hoiberg never got.
Boylen consistently said he planned to open up the offense after slowing the pace initially to focus on trying to master basics with critical players injured. Friday night offered a preview.
Whether it came because Paxson and senior adviser Doug Collins talked to Boylen or Boylen simply followed through on his vow doesn’t really matter. What matters is the Bulls continue to try to utilize a starting lineup with an average age of 22.5 — and now featuring two rookies — in an aggressive fashion.
Dare we say it’s time for the Bulls to be younger and more athletic than their opponents?
“We’re working at our offense any practice we get — sharing it, moving it, screening, pass quality,” Boylen said. “That’s all we’ve been talking about. You hope you break through and it becomes part of us. We’ll keep coaching it. We call it .5. Make a decision in .5 (seconds) — pass it, shoot it, drive it, make the right play for the team. You have the ball in your hands, your job is to get us a good look, whether it’s you or somebody else.”
After only playing 12 games and 255 minutes together last season, LaVine, Dunn and Markkanen are projected to start a long string of games in the second half. It’s exactly what they — and the Bulls — need.
The trio has logged 120 minutes together this season with an offensive rating of 100.4 and a net rating of minus-5.7. LaVine and Markkanen demonstrated their difficult shot-making ability against the Pacers. And Dunn focused on getting both scorers going while still possessing enough confidence — and the clutch gene — for his three huge baskets late.
“I’m close to knowing and understanding who I am,” LaVine said. “I’m trying to take steps to get to that next level. I think I got the most experience in the starting five. That’s ... whew.
“But we’re dangerous because we have so many different weapons. Learning to win doesn’t come right away. There are going to be ups and downs. We’re trying to speed the process up because we know how good we can be.”
The trick is to optimize the offensive talent while still following the defensive mandate Boylen has used to determine playing time. The Bulls, 10-29 and tied for 13th place in the Eastern Conference, rank 11th in defensive rating in Boylen’s 15 games as coach.
Carter’s defensive instincts belie his tender age of 19. He ranks tied for fourth among rookies with 1.4 blocks per game. But his impact — when he avoids foul trouble — moves beyond numbers. He owns a keen awareness of the defensive three-second rule. He can switch onto smaller players and ably contest their drives. He makes multiple show-and- recover efforts on the same possession.
Also defensively, Shaquille Harrison has proved to be a reliable rotational piece. Hutchison can use the second half as an opportunity to grow. Dunn’s steals per game are down from last season, but his stick-to-itiveness isn’t.
Tuesday’s road game against the Trail Blazers begins an extremely difficult five-game trip. The second half will feature losing.
But it doesn’t need to feature hopelessness.
“Knock on wood, our guys will be healthy and we can see how this group grows together and what our needs will be going down the road,” Paxson said.
“I say this all the time: My expectation is for our guys to compete hard.”