NLL Insider - Team by Team: Chicago Bulls

by Rootsey, updated on Monday, December 07 2020, 11:49 am EST

2019-20 Finish: 41-41

Season Highlight:

Making the playoffs. Some teams are here for the rings every year, and some are here to have fun and try make a run in the playoffs. Chicago is built for first round exits from the playoffs, and that's ok. Its fun to try pit your wits against digga, badwolf, vt, or wiz in the playoffs and considering the turnover of GMs and players that the team saw throughout the year while dealing with season long injuries to players, achieving playoffs is great.

Season Lowlight:

Injuries and the subsequent trades to try remain competitive.

KD is injured and is out for the season, traded with a first for Kemba and Al Horford.

Klay Thompson is injured and out for the season and more, traded for Buddy Hield, PJ Washington and two first rounders.

Best Trade:

Klay Thompson, Alen Smailagic, and a 2nd for Dewayne Dedmon, Buddy Hield, PJ Washington, the pick that became Jordan Nwora, Washington 2022 1st and Detroit 2022 2nd.

My initial comment on the trade was "I like it for all involved. Chicago gets a few pieces to build his team with, Detroit scores a player who will be a great fit with Ayton and Ja, and the Kyrie/Simmons fit will do well in Washington. Just hope for Washingtonâ€™s sake they can be healthy at the same time." It still rings true. Especially with Klay out for another season, having Buddy as a poor man Klay Thompson, and PJ Washington who looked promising this season, the team has the pieces to have some fun with.

But the criticism of the deal is also true, which was summed up best by vt, "Small pieces for Klay (compared to what Darko spent for him) ... CHI prolly could have gotten more."

Worst Trade:

A preseason trade last year looks worse on paper now than it did then.

The Chicago Bulls send Kevin Durant and Gary Trent Jnr. to the Phoenix Suns. The Phoenix Suns send Al Horford and Kemba Walker to the Chicago Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls send a 1st-Rounder (Chi) to the Phoenix Suns.

The Chicago Bulls trade -50 GM points.The Phoenix Suns receive 50 GM points.

Phoenix frees up $22M of capspace, gets the best player, a pick for a team that kind of just floats in the middle of the pack, and a whopping 50 GMs which he wisely invested in multiple 2nds, which inturn bought him into the 1st round this draft.

I understand the motivation for the trade, Daz wanted to compete, and Kemba - who was moved as soon as he could for DLo - with Horford would help do that this year. Adding the pick and GMs as payment for the injury year, and who knew Gary Trent Jnr would be useful in the NBA. But that's the beauty about a Turn Back Time, we can pick the shit out of how Horford became useless and overpaid, and overcompensating Phoenix for a year of injury which effectively was two first rounders for someone to take a year of injured KEVIN DURANT.

Other Notable Trades:

The Dallas Mavericks send Rajon Rondo to the Chicago Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls send a 2nd-Rounder (Mia) to the Dallas Mavericks.

Meh deal, but playoff Rondo all year didn't hurt.

The Chicago Bulls send Kemba Walker and Ryan Broekhoff to the LA Clippers. The LA Clippers send DAngelo Russell and Ante Zizic to the Chicago Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls send a 2nd-Rounder (Chi) to the LA Clippers.

The Chicago Bulls receive 25 GM points. The LA Clippers trade -25 GM points.

I nearly put this one as my favourite trade until I looked at how Kemba outscored DAngelo by 8 points per game in the NLL and his salary is only slightly larger. Now I don't think its so crash hot.

The Chicago Bulls send Jarrett Allen to the Miami Heat.

The Chicago Bulls send a 2020 2nd-Rounder (Chi) to the Miami Heat. The Miami Heat send a 2020 1st-Rounder (Orl) (Isaac Okoro) and 2021 1st-Rounder (SA) to the Chicago Bulls.

The Chicago Bulls receive 10 GM points. The Miami Heat trade -10 GM points.

Jarrett Allen has the physical tools to be something and he is a very useful 2k guy but is still in no mans land in the NBA. Getting two first rounders for a centre in the NBA would be unheard of, but in the NLL I think it makes sense. Isaac Okoro is the telling piece of the deal with the other pick being projected as a late first at this stage by our crack team of analysts. I have a feeling that this deal may not be in Chicagos favour if we look at it in a year or so, if only for the fact that we use 2k to decide who wins the games around here.

Star:

DLo by default.

22 ppg and nearly 7 assists with reasonably efficient shooting and volume over 57 games, we can't go by him unless we were to choose the player that was sent away to bring him in.

In 17 Chicago games Kemba scored 27 points 6.5 assists with similar efficiency and volume.

Goat:

Playoff Rondo decided to shoot nearly two 3pts per game and hit just over 20% of them, while being ineffienct inside the arc and net 48 rating of -10.7.

Free Agency:

Last year went ok for the Bulls in Free Agency, landing Wesley Matthews, Ed Davis, Cheick Diallo and Ryan Arcidiancono. While none are superstars, Wes Matthews had a solid year and the others played their role well.

Draft Grades:

I'm not a huge draft buff. I like the idea of Isaac Okoro, a defender who needs to work on his shot. I would have picked him in that spot too, but for further analysis on him, read the amazing work already in the Insider.

Kenyon Martin Jnr. I like drafting guys with family in the league, they should know what to expect and how to work, hopefully it will be the same for Jnr as it was for Snr.

Skylar Mays. Wasn't that Walter Whites' wife? Its been a few years since I've watched Breaking Bad, might have to find out where its streaming...

The Future:

Do I think a core of DAngelo Russell, Buddy Hield, Al Horford, and PJ Washington can compete for the title? No.

Can they have fun fighting for the 7th seed. Sure. Just need to pray for injuries to the Bucks and Bobcats (I mean Hornets) and we might see them rattle a few cages. 52 GMs isn't enough to make a big splash in Free Agency, but there are plenty of TBT still available to get them up. Perhaps we will see some big man depth coming in there to support Horford and Ed Davis.

The team looks fun to manage, with Al Horford living on the Trading block probably being the next man gone, but I'd urge restraint. A come back year in the OKC system in the NBA could return him to form and there is the potential to add more assets by moving him closer to the trade deadline for someone wanting that last piece of the puzzle.

NLL Insider - Team by Team: Chicago Bulls

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