Dragić shot 52.4 percent overall even with his 3-point shoot betraying him for now. He averaged 1.5 steals in 18.3 minutes and finished with a line of 6 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals in the finale.Īfter a rough opener, Goran Dragić settled in and displayed his ability to drive aggressively, either scoring or spraying out to open shooters. Whether it featured Williams or Green, the reserves played well overall as a unit.Īlex Caruso did Alex Caruso-like things. LaVine must limit the careless turnovers. The Bulls also are emphasizing an offense in which quick decisions and reads must be made and ball and player movement is paramount. And it’s also notable that LaVine’s defensive activity and commitment stood out during his two-and-a-half games.īut LaVine looked like a player still working his way into game shape during those brief appearances. Donovan and teammates have raved about his pop in practices. He only played the first half of the preseason opener and sat out the finale. LaVine posted 9 assists to 10 turnovers in a mere 62 minutes. ![]() LaVine almost always rises to the occasion when the bright lights flipīut for a two-time All-Star who underwent an offseason arthroscopic knee procedure and became a father for the first time, limiting his usual routine of playing 5-on-5 in the offseason, it’s notable for now. Zach LaVine looks rustyīy the end of the first two-game trip in Washington, this takeaway could be dropped into the nitpick basket. “I think he’s got enough confidence in his own ability that wherever you put him, he can be effective and productive,” Donovan said. And for a former two-time All-Star entering a contract year, he looks ready to rise to the occasion, even flashing active hands on defense. ![]() ![]() Paint touches can lead to kick-outs for teammates’ 3-pointers.īut Vučević and the Bulls clearly established a presence down low early in games. That doesn’t always mean Vucevic will shoot his 3.3 assists are evidence of that. Yes, he can still serve as a pick-and-pop option, as his 7-for-14 shooting from 3-point range showed.īut more important, Vučević averaged 14.8 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 68 percent overall because the Bulls achieved their goal of increasing paint touches. Vučević is a team-first player, but he loudly - for him - announced on media day his intention to get back to his basics of working more from the inside out. While any Bulls player will tell you that replacing Lonzo Ball is impossible, Donovan clearly trusts Dosunmu and hopes his positional size, ball security and readiness to push pace will at least partially compensate. "Basically, yes," Donovan said after the finale when asked if Dosunmu had locked down the starting job, a rare move for Donovan, who typically plays his lineup decisions close to the vest and continues to play coy in the power forward department.ĭosunmu averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and shot 6-for-11 from 3-point range while averaging 24.5 minutes in the preseason. By providing steady, two-way play in that role in all four preseason games, Ayo Dosunmu made it an obvious choice. Nine days ago, starting point guard was the Bulls' biggest rotational question mark. There are things he was able to see from last season that he could go work on this summer.” Ayo Dosunmu is the Bulls' starting point guard “And I think with the number of minutes he got and being a rotational player night in and night out, you learn things from that. ![]() Williams has yet to consistently find his most effective role playing alongside high-usage players.Ĭould playing him with the second unit unlock his most optimal contributions to the team? That’s a decision for Donovan, who consistently has said he is trying to find the right combinations for his planned two five-man units. Because it came with the Bulls resting DeRozan and Zach LaVine. Here are the six biggest takeaways: Patrick Williams could be a reserveĮven his strong, 22-point finish against a Milwaukee Bucks team that sat all its prominent players seemed to point in this direction. 19 regular season opener in Miami, there is plenty to parse through following four exhibitions. With coach Billy Donovan strongly leaning towards using a 10-man rotation that doesn’t feature DeMar DeRozan leading the second unit when the action gets real at the Oct. And so a 3-1 preseason is in the books for the Chicago Bulls.īut of course, the preseason is about much more than team record. If you’re going to play a game, you might as well try to win it.
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