ChettheJet wrote:It was never going to be easy but the time to move on from Demar, Zach and now Vuc was/is yesterday. Getting a great offer was never going to happen, Zach was probably a #2 guy who felt he should be seen as the #1 guy and lead the team while everybody followed. But he wasn't that leader. I can question if DeRozan was this great leader. TOR moved on from him after a long time, SAS got a lot out of him. The Bulls weren't winners. Guys went to California to wok out with him but did he mostly teach them where he liked toget the ball in the mid range so they could space the floor? When the Bulls signed Vucevic to his 3 year deal they knew he was that solid 20/10 guy but ignored that he was not the rim protector or lane blocker. They were still clinging to him, DeRozan and Lavine carrying the team, maybe dreaming that Lonzo was going to come back. Well now we're here.
The issue the Bulls face now going forward is they don't have a #1 or even a #2 guy, they've got a roster of #3 guys with nobody standing out from the pack. I think they're best bet is to assemble more #3 guys and build a deep unspectacular group. They do need to pare down the guard situation. This year's exit interviews are o ask, do you want to stay here or look for more money and playing time?
They need to sort out Giddey, White, Dosunmu, Jones and Huerter. Jones and maybe Giddey are the pure PGs, White and Dosunmu are combo guards not good enough to be PGs or shooters. Huerter is the shooter of the bunch. They've got Ball so one PG, one combo guard and if none of them are flat out shooters find 2 somewhere else. Because they need to add size.
You start the forward positions with Buzelis, Williams and Phillips. If Matas puts on the muscle he might as well start. Maybe they find somebody maybe Patrick finds a way to get to the basket and hold onto the ball. When he's close to the rim there's something that makes him fumble the ball. I agree with Stacey King, I'd like to see Matas and Patrick play together for a while to see how they react. Phillips seems to do some things naturally and well and then he fades into the background.Everybody needs to spend time with Wes Unseld jr learning how to be big and wide.
Smith, Collins and Sanogo might be enough unless they can get a starter.
I'm encouraged getting that pick back, 3 rookies coming in for the next 3 years slowly adds talent but they aren't rushed to make a big difference.
What has to happen is guys like Matas need to get a lot of playing time to develop and try can accelerate their potential. Simultaneously the hope is the Bulls lose a lot of games and improve their draft position. They have to get the draft pick right and hope they draft their future #1 option. They need to move on from guys like Vuc and try to get something back in a trade over the summer. The Bulls need to identify their core and rebuild around those guys. Hopefully by 2027 they have a young promising team that is about to break through and that can help attract a major free agent. Another plus would be for Reinsdorf and his band of owners to sell their ownership and get a new owner that is a rich fan and doesn’t look at the Bulls purely as a business venture.