Banchero sinks game-winner against the Bulls |
CHICAGO - I understand we are still just 12 games into the NBA season, but it is time for the Chicago Bulls (4-8) and their fans to face the reality. This isn't a very good basketball team, and they haven't been good for more than three years. Fortunately, they have been able to get buy on their talent level to keep them competitive enough to make the playoffs, but even that talent doesn't seem to be enough right now.
The past 48 hours have been a struggle for the Bulls as Zach Lavine has openly said he is willing to move on from Chicago should the Bulls seek a trade for him. Throw in Demar DeRozan leaving the team to attend to a personal matter and no set date as to when he will return, and this team has more issues to sort out than anyone realized. Even with all that going on, the Bulls still had a game to play as they welcomed the Orlando Magic (6-5) to the United Center for the first of two straight contests. Not having DeRozan in the lineup would be a challenge, but there is no excuse for how bad the Bull's offense was, as they made just 11 of 41 shots in the first half and scored a season-low 33 points in the first half. Some teams average that in an entire quarter, and the Bulls had 33 points in 24 minutes to find themselves trailing 50-33 at the break. Fortunately, their defense overcame the offensive woes and helped keep things close in the second half to the point where the Bulls tied things up at 94. That was until last year's No. 1 overall pick Pablo Banchero, came through late as his game-winning shot with 1.6 seconds to go lifted the Magic to the 96-94 win. Despite DeRozan not looking like the same player he was the past two seasons, just having him in the lineup is a massive boost for this team, and without him, other guys needed to step up. This would've been the perfect opportunity for Lavine to put the team on his back and lead the way, but instead, he finished with just 19 points, as it appears he has checked out mentally this season. Nikola Vucevic is arguably the most consistent offensive player for Chicago, and after chipping in 17 points and nine rebounds, the consistency continues to show. The longer the Bulls struggle, the more likely a firesale will be on the horizon, and Alex Caruso will be one of the main targets on this team. Say what you will about Caruso. This guy is a dog, and one any team would love to have. Not only can he give you offense, but his ability to play defense sets him apart from the rest of this roster, as he finished with 16 points off the bench and did his part to pull the Bulls back late. If this is the kind of production you can get from him every game, the Bulls would be in a better position than they are now. With DeRozan out of the starting lineup, Patrick Williams was put back in as the Bulls hoped he could pick up some of the slack. Unfortunately, Williams was not too helpful, finishing with nine points, with Coby White adding five in what was a terrible game for him. Had it not been for the 11 points from Torrey Craig, there is no way this game ended as close as it did. Like the Bulls, the Magic didn't have that one go-to guy in this one, but instead, several guys who felt they could make any shot they took. Banchero was one of them as he finished with a team-high 17 points and added nine rebounds to go with his game-winning bucket. He was joined by fellow big Gogo Bitadze and his 15-point, 11-rebound double-double as the Bulls continued to struggle on the glass. While those were the main starters setting the tone offensively, Cole Anthony exploded off the bench and provided the Magic with what you like to call instant offense. Anthony didn't play a ton of minutes, finishing with 22, but he made those minutes count as he also added 16 points off of the bench. Rounding out the strong showings for the Magic were Franz Wagner and his 13 points, With Jalen Suggs adding 10 in what was an overall horrendous loss for Chicago. The Bulls will be back on the floor Friday when they host this same Magic team for game two of the in-season tournament.
