Chicago Bulls Trying to Restore Order
As the Chicago Bulls try to rebuild their franchise, they are hoping last night’s NBA draft will be a big step in the right direction.
Unfortunately for Chicago, they only had one draft pick this year due to the Nikola Vucevic trade they made last season at the trade deadline.
In the second round, however, they selected Illinois point guard Ayo Dosunmu with the 38th overall pick. Despite shooting 48% from the field and nearly 40% from beyond the arc, many believe shooting is Donsumu’s biggest weakness. He has shown his improvement in that area, and I expect his percentages to continue rising.
In other areas, he also provides some great playmaking offensively with his assist totals and always plays hard on the defensive end. Additionally, he has shown the ability to finish around the rim against bigger opponents.
Donsumu was projected to go in the first round hovering around the mid-20s. Considering the value and need for the Bulls, I would rate the pick as a B+ for Chicago, especially since the point guard position is a question mark right now.
Veteran Tomas Satoransky only has one year left on his remaining contract, while Coby White’s status with the team is unclear at the moment. He seemed to fall out of the Bulls’ rotation last season and struggled to see the court consistently.
With the 38th pick in the second round of the NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Ayo Dosunmu out of Illinois.The Bulls recently have taken big risks to try to store relevancy once again. This season could be proven large for everyone involved in the organization.
In last season’s NBA trade deadline, the Bulls made some bold moves to shake up their roster by acquiring all-star center Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu from the Orlando Magic in exchange for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., and two first-round picks.
While Vucevic is a top 5 center in the NBA, trading away former top selection Carter Jr. plus two first-round picks is a hefty price to pay. After the trade, the Bulls wound up finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 31-41.
The hope for next season for Chicago is that their new one-two punch of Lavine and Vucevic can deliver a playoff appearance for the first time since 2017. Since the play-in tournament remains, I see the Bulls having a legitimate shot of finishing at least 10th in the conference.
Once the Bulls reach the postseason, Chicago’s young core of players can have the opportunity to gain experience and grow together.
Regardless of their playoff status next year, one thing is for certain; President Michael Reinsdorf and General Manager Eversly have yet been able to get the job done, which is why they have pulled the trigger and made such a significant trade at the deadline.
If the Bulls cannot get it together next season, I see both Reinsdork and Everly getting relieved of their duties. I believe Chicago has the right head coach in place in Billy Donavan, along with talented playmakers in Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.
There should not be a reason why they do not make it to the playoffs next season. I believe the addition of Ayo Donsumu will help the Chicago Bulls.
