Bulls offer friendly reminder that they're a rebuilding team
The Bulls' inability to earn a quality win this week just confirmed the obvious - this is a rebuilding team, not a playoff team.
Judged on the rebuild alone, the Bulls deserve a decent grade. Zach LaVine keeps getting closer to star-caliber level, Kris Dunn has become a defensive difference-maker, Wendell Carter is a starting-caliber NBA center.
Lauri Markkanen is harder to evaluate right now. He's good, but it's questionable whether he'll ever be physical enough to become an elite power forward. Rookie Coby White still has a long way to go, but has instant-offense potential.
The right thing to do would be to take that young core and surround them with experienced players, but that's where the Bulls have failed. Otto Porter has played in only nine games this season and is still using a walking boot. Tomas Satoransky has been OK, but he has some liabilities and may never be a starting-caliber point guard on a good team. Thaddeus Young has been decent, but every time the Bulls go on a run with Young on the floor - like Saturday's fourth quarter against Boston - people start asking why Markkanen isn't in the game.
"We're right there, what can we do to fix it? That's my frustration," Dunn said after the loss to Boston. "I'm still down with this group of guys. We've got a great group of guys, talented, work hard, good character."
LaVine said he was frustrated because he thinks the Bulls are just as good as Boston. I would strongly disagree on that point. The Bulls are not as good as Boston. The Celtics had three talented scorers in Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown, brought veteran center Enes Kanter off the bench, had all-star guard Kemba Walker sitting at home with an illness.
In contrast, LaVine is the only Bulls player who can consistently generate offense on his own and opposing teams know it, so LaVine is often fighting an uphill battle in late-game situations.
On Monday in Dallas, the Bulls will see Luka Doncic, who is posting LeBron James-style numbers in his second season. The Bulls have no one anywhere close to that level.
People can complain all they want about coach Jim Boylen burning timeouts or not playing Markkanen in the fourth quarter or essentially forbidding 2-point shots. The Bulls are what their record says they are - a young team with plenty to learn. The fact that they've been better than Atlanta, Detroit, Memphis, Sacramento and other lottery teams this season is actually a positive.
This group of players is not going to grow into a championship contender. The NBA doesn't work that way. At some point, the Bulls will need to make some trades, sign free agents, get rid of young players, add veterans, find a complementary scorer or two to match with LaVine. There's a long, long way to go.
The Bulls aren't that far out of eighth place in the East, but the only way they were going to be a playoff team this season was if they got a solid, consistent performance from Porter.
Obviously, Porter didn't plan on being injured, but management deserves some blame for making last year's trade. Porter, a former No. 3 overall draft pick, was a disappointment in Washington. He's the kind of guy you sign to a reasonable contract and hope he can live up to his predraft potential. Taking on the final two years of a bloated contract at $55 million leaves the Bulls with very little flexibility to make the moves they need.
There was a rumor the Los Angeles Clippers were interested in trading for Young. Sure, the Clippers would probably be happy to send back JaMychal Green, Rodney McGruder and the 28th pick in the draft for a proven veteran. But how is that going to help the Bulls?
The impending return of Chandler Hutchison from a shoulder injury isn't likely to help much either. He's a second-year player trying to figure things out. Just like most of his teammates.
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Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Dallas Mavericks, Monday 7:30 p.m. at the American Airlines Center
TV: NBCSCH; Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Outlook: It's safe to say, second-year guard Luka Doncic has reached superstar level. He's averaging 29.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 8.9 assists and leads the NBA in triple-doubles with 10. Doncic has also carried a relatively young Mavericks squad to a 22-13 record, which was good for sixth place in the West as of Sunday morning. ... PF Kristaps Porzingis (knee) and SG Tim Hardaway Jr. (hamstring) have missed the last three games. Porzingis is not expected to play against the Bulls. ... That leaves SG Seth Curry as Dallas' next highest scorer at 10.2 ppg and the Mavs have been starting veteran PG J.J. Barea. Stevenson HS grad Jalen Brunson is averaging 7.8 points in 17.5 minutes. ... The Bulls went 0-2 against Dallas last season.
Next: New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, 7 p.m. at the Smoothie King Center
- Mike McGraw