The Chicago Bulls front office made it clear from the outset that the primary goals of the 2017-18 season would be to-1)develop the young talent on the roster, specifically the three players acquired in the Jimmy Butler trade, and- 2) lose as many games as possible to boost draft position.
Well, with just 25 games left in the season, you can’t say the Bulls aren’t trying… to reach their goals, at least.
General manager John Paxson announced yesterday that the teams’ two primary veterans, Robin Lopez and Justin Holiday, will be moved to the bench and replaced by David Nwaba and Cristiano Felicio.
Paxson said Felicio and Nwaba will be starting “for a significant time.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 20, 2018
While neither Paxson nor Fred Hoiberg elaborated on what the new roles will be for Lopez and Holiday, it’s possible that they could fall out of the rotation altogether.
“You can’t play 12 guys in our game. Nine or 10 is the most”, Paxson told the media yesterday. “And it’s just the position we’re in as a young team, 20-37, with a lot of young guys and several who we haven’t really had the chance to see play much this year.”
If the Bulls aren’t going more than 10 deep, what’s stopping them from sitting Holiday and taking a look at Paul Zipser alongside Denzel Valentine with the second unit? Same goes for Lopez, who could have the rest of his minutes stripped by the newly acquired, 22-year-old Noah Vonleh. If Paxson and Hoiberg are as committed to evaluating their young talent as they say they are, why only go halfway?
Speaking of young “talent”, I almost forgot. Jerian Grant has been bumped out of the rotation for a now healthy Cameron Payne.
Paxson should receive credit for his transparency here. It’s no secret what the Bulls are trying to do, so kudos to him for not treating a smart fanbase like a bunch of dummies (which he has been guilty of before).
The Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns, tied for the league’s worst record, are only three games worse than the Chicago. However, Memphis, Dallas, Orlando, Sacramento, Brooklyn all “boast” a worse record than the Bulls as well.
With only 11 of their remaining 25 games coming against above .500 teams, it’ll be hard to finish with a bottom 5 record, no matter what rotations they use. But you can’t blame that on a lack of effort from management.
