Who are these guys? Get to know Chicago Bulls' depleted lineup
The Chicago Bulls were no match for the New York Knicks on Monday, trailing by 28 points in the second quarter before a late rally fell short.
The Knicks' leading scorer was forward Luke Kornet, who played in last week's G-League playoff game between the Westchester Knicks and Windy City Bulls. New York still owned the NBA's worst record after picking up its 15th win of the season.
The Bulls are playing with no regular starters these days, since Zach LaVine, Otto Porter Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn and Wendell Carter Jr. are injured. They'll likely play their fourth game with the depleted lineup Wednesday in Washington, although Dunn is on the trip and told reporters he's hoping to play again this season.
So who are these guys playing for the Bulls right now? A New York Post writer called it an April Fool's joke of a lineup. Some players have been around all season, others are recent arrivals.
Since many fans understandably have tuned out, here's a quick rundown of the current Bulls and their chances of sticking in the NBA.
Shaq Harrison: He joined the Bulls early in the season and probably has the best chance of coming back, since he can play defense at an elite level. Harrison leads the NBA in steals per minute played. The goal this summer is to improve the 25-percent 3-point shooting.
Ryan Arcidiacono: Every coach loves a guy who takes charges and dives after loose balls, so Arcidiacono is another player who could return. He already beat out Cameron Payne for the Bulls' second point-guard slot. He's shot well from 3-point range at times and a little more consistency could make him an NBA lifer.
Wayne Selden Jr.: The former Kansas star arrived from Memphis in the Justin Holiday trade and quickly joined the rotation. Selden's best asset is he hits shots consistently, both from 3-point range and closer. If he were a couple of inches taller, he might make a nice NBA role player, but at 6-feet-5 he's a little undersized at the forward spot.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: This French native was languishing on the Oklahoma City bench, so the Thunder traded him to the Bulls to trim their tax bill. The athletic 6-7 forward does some nice things but disappears too often. He might be headed back to Europe soon.
Antonio Blakeney: He really hasn't caught on this season. Early on, he might have been too focused on his instant-offense role and took too many bad shots. Now he's not as aggressive as he probably should be. His go-to move is the pull-up jumper from the foul-line area.
Walt Lemon Jr.: The Windy City Bulls' best player has a nice story. He's a South Side native who went undrafted, played in four different European leagues, several G-League teams and made it in the NBA. He's good at attacking the basket as well as the drive and dish. But the lack of an outside shot might hurt his chances of staying in the league. He needs to keep improving and likely will spend the summer with the Bulls.
JaKarr Sampson: Another former Windy City Bull, he's a 6-8 forward with a nice face-up jumper and some aggressiveness around the basket. He was with the Bulls in training camp but made his regular-season debut in New York and scored 22 points. Before playing at St. John's, Sampson attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, the alma mater of LeBron James.
Brandon Sampson: The Bulls plucked him off the Houston Rockets' G-League affiliate at midseason and made him a two-way player. An athletic 6-8 forward who played with Blakeney and Ben Simmons at LSU, Sampson needs time to develop.
Rawle Alkins: He was a two-player all season but is such a raw talent that he hasn't contributed much for the Bulls and was a role player with Windy City.
Cristiano Felicio: He's not going anywhere, thanks to his $8 million a year contract that runs two more seasons. He's contributing more lately but is still a big drop-off from starting center Robin Lopez.
•Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls
Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Washington Wizards, 6 p.m. at Capital One Arena
TV: NBCSCH • Radio: WIND 560-AM
Outlook: This will be the third meeting with former Bulls Bobby Portis and Jabari Parker since the Feb. 6 trade that sent Otto Porter Jr. to Chicago. The teams split two games at the United Center and the Bulls won in Washington 101-92 on Dec. 28. … The Wizards (32-46) are eliminated from playoff contention but played spoiler Sunday by winning at Denver. … SG Bradley Beal (26.0 ppg) has picked up his scoring with John Wall injured. Parker is averaging 15.5 points and 7.3 rebounds with the Wizards, while Portis is at 14.3 points and 8.5 boards. SF Trevor Ariza has missed the last three games with a groin injury.
Next: Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m. Saturday at the United Center
— Mike McGraw