McGraw: New Year's resolutions for all the Bulls, from LaVine to Benny
A new year has begun and the Bulls' season suddenly appears salvageable. So let's make some Bulls New Year's resolutions to keep the party rolling:
Zach LaVine: Go out and seize the role you want.
He's already off to a good start this week. LaVine has never publicly complained about his role or his future with the Bulls. A trade is very far-fetched at this point. But he has appeared frustrated on the court plenty of times and let his attention to defense slide.
As mentioned before, LaVine is one of the NBA's most athletic players. He should be on SportsCenter Top 10 plays at least once a week. We should be talking about Zach "doing Zach LaVine things."
When has he sealed a game with a great defensive play? Had an impressive putback dunk? Finished through contact to score in a clutch moment?
The last two games are exactly how LaVine should be playing. He won't always be white hot from 3-point range, but he set a positive tone against Utah by pushing the pace early and building some energy for the second leg of back-to-back games.
Patrick Williams: No one becomes an NBA star by standing in the corner waiting for the ball. That's the resolution.
Williams scored a season-high 22 points against Brooklyn this week, but maybe his most telling recent highlight was a dunk off an offensive rebound. Now in his third NBA season, Williams is averaging 1.0 offensive boards per game.
That's ridiculous. The Bulls need more hustle plays in general, but a 21-year-old trying to establish himself in the league should be leading the charge. Putback baskets, weakside blocked shots, fast-break dunks - Williams needs to specialize in those types of plays while waiting for more offensive opportunities.
Ayo Dosunmu: Lead the offense.
Maybe Dosunmu isn't a natural point guard, but the Bulls need one. The South Side native is making good progress in his second season, now he needs to be able to run the show. He can help recognize favorable matchups, decide when it's time to get the ball to the low post, keep feeding the hot hand.
If he's up to the task, the rest of the Bulls need to empower Dosunmu to take the reigns and lead the offense down the best path. Even if Lonzo Ball does play this season, it's not happening soon.
DeMar DeRozan: Keep doing what you're doing, but don't forget it's also your job to pass the wisdom to future generations. The Bulls need more variety in their scoring totals most nights.
Nikola Vucevic: If there's such a thing as a rebounding roll, stay on it. Vucevic is averaging 14.8 boards over the last five games.
Alex Caruso: Stay healthy, hit more 3-point shots, maybe don't dive after every single loose ball. You know, the usual stuff.
Coby White: This is more for the coaching staff, but White is starting to show he belongs on the court in late-game situations.
Javonte Green: If there's any way to get about three inches taller, free-agency would be lucrative next summer.
Derrick Jones Jr.: A protein shake once in a while probably won't harm the vertical.
Goran Dragic: Execute one highlight dunk that makes everyone forget about "The Memo."
Andre Drummond: Lead the NBA in rebounds per 48 minutes. He's the man to beat, with 24.2 through Saturday's action. The Clippers' Moses Brown is second at 21.5 per 48.
Dalen Terry: Set up an isolation cam on the sideline during games and in the locker room after victories. Hopefully, he's just as entertaining when he starts playing.
Marko Simonovic: Use a rewards card to get double points at the Hoffman Estates Marriott.
Lonzo Ball: A fallback career? Nah, just keep rehabbing.
Billy Donovan: What's a reasonable limit on length of answers during news conferences? Two minutes? Maybe 90 seconds?
Benny the Bull: Just send a nice gift to the workers in charge of popcorn spills.
Twitter: @McGrawDHSports