Chicago Bulls' playoff chances aren't dead, but flaws not easy to fix
TNT analyst Kenny Smith has made similar statements already this season, but again on Thursday, he gave his opinion on the steady, alternating current that is the Chicago Bulls' 2016-17 season.
"It all comes down to what a team's identity is," Smith said. "With the Chicago Bulls, you don't know what the trademark of their game is. To me, that's a negative, because you can't build your team around a specific on-court philosophy.
The Bulls seem to have a clear identity: They never know what they'll get from their young players, they're easily the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA and are incapable of winning or losing more than three games in a row.
Maybe the best reason to believe in the Bulls is despite all these flaws, they hit the all-star break with a 28-29 record and sit seventh in the Eastern Conference standings.
They have not one, but two go-to scorers for the end of games (Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade), and they tend to save their best performances for the good opponents. After edging the Celtics on Thursday, the Bulls are 6-1 this season against Cleveland, Boston and Toronto.
Even in victory, the Bulls' worst attributes were on full display during that 104-103 win over the Celtics.
Problem No. 1: Most of the good NBA teams use 3-pointers as an effective weapon and the Bulls are terrible at long-range shooting.
Boston recorded at least 10 made 3-pointers for the 15th consecutive game. In fact, the Celtics got to 10 by halftime. By the end of the night, six different Celtics knocked down at least one 3-pointer.
The Bulls have made 10 3-pointers in a game just seven times all season. They were 6-for-25 from long range Thursday, which means the Bulls were outscored by 24 points at the 3-point line and still managed to win.
The long-range plan went as most people predicted. The Bulls are falling way behind in a trend that's dominating the NBA. Eleven of the top 12 teams in 3-point percentage are currently in playoff position.
It won't be easy pull off, but the top of the Bulls' trade-deadline wish list should be a 3-point shooter. And here's a random fact: Ben Gordon went 6 for 9 from long range in his last D-League game before the break.
Problem No. 2: Bobby Portis played his best game of the season Thursday against Boston, scoring 19 points.
That in itself wasn't the problem. Portis gave the Bulls a needed boost, but the consistent questions remains, when will he do it again? Coach Fred Hoiberg never knows what he'll get from any of the young guys.
Here's a quick rundown on double-figure scoring games this season beyond the five veterans: Doug McDermott 23, Nikola Mirotic 22, Michael Carter-Williams 11, Jerian Grant 9, Portis 6, Isaiah Canaan 6, Cristiano Felicio 6, Paul Zipser 5 and Denzel Valentine 1. That's out of 57 games the Bulls have played.
None of those guys were top 10 picks and it's possible none of them will ever become NBA stars. Should the Bulls keep waiting on some of those guys to develop? If not, are any teams anxious to trade for any of them?
McDermott probably has the most trade value because his scoring skills seem to give him the best chance of raising his effectiveness. Mirotic will be a restricted free agent this summer, so he may not stay with the Bulls much longer, anyway.
For those asking if Butler will be traded, the answer is almost certainly not. Anything is possible, but there's no indication the Bulls are interested in a full-blown rebuild right now. The more likely scenario is to try to find a better supporting cast around Butler and Wade this summer.
There's reason to believe the Bulls can make the playoffs this season. Butler is showing he may be one of the top 10 NBA players. The inside game with Taj Gibson, Robin Lopez and Felicio is solid, ranking first in the league in offensive rebounds.
The 3-point shooting isn't likely to improve, but getting at least a couple of the young guys to contribute more often may decide the Bulls' postseason fate.
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