One night after Josh Giddey flexed his first triple-double in a Chicago Bulls uniform, the Bulls went to San Antonio sans Victor Wembanyama, seeking their first back-to-back victories since October. Not only were the Bulls able to pull off the 15-point win and overcome just an 11-point outing from Zach LaVine, they had nine players post eight or more points. Nikola Vucevic continued his strong All-Star campaign, pouring in 39 points on 16-of-22 from the field with eight rebounds and five dimes. Matas Buzelis and Talen Horton-Tucker continued their impressive contributions from the bench unit, totaling 24 points, ten rebounds, and five assists on an efficient 9-of-17 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point land. Of all the stellar stat lines and solid performances, one stood above the rest. Ayo Dosunmu achieved his first career triple-double.
Learning To Contribute To Every Facet
Dosunmu was drafted in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft out of the University of Illinois. A hometown kid, fans immediately flocked to support the local product and have seen him blossom firsthand. He’s taken a similar path of improvement to Coby White. Although White should’ve earned the NBA’s Most Improved Player award last season, and Dosunmu might not have that level of development yet, there are very promising signs. His points have remained slowly increasing with each passing season, his shooting numbers were down early but improved lately, and his assist and rebound numbers have improved annually. Tonight was the cherry on top.
Ayo Dosunmu's first career triple-double! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OzX5485LFQ
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 6, 2024
First Giddey, then Dosunmu, the Bulls nearly had a third triple-double tonight from LaVine, who finished with 11-9-9. The critical stat is winning, which Chicago has done in the last two outings and now stands at 10-13 or eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Tank Or Playoffs Debate Time
Headed into this season, all the bets could’ve safely been placed on the Bulls laying down and finishing in the depths of the league standings. This would retain their top-ten protected first-round pick and incentivize the front office to seek valuable returns for Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, and Lonzo Ball. Instead, the random injuries and shift changes have resulted in an improved product, and Chicago is winning games. The method is not sustainable, which is to outshoot the opposition and take as many three-point field goals as possible, but it does fit the mold of the current NBA and is a change of pace from the last two seasons for the Bulls where defense was king, and three-point attempts ranked last in the NBA.
The Bulls are 8-11. Is that good or bad?@Bulls_Peck has a message for the "tanking doesn't work" crowd.
What do YOU think, Bulls Nation? pic.twitter.com/gvriNLHRJS
— CHGO Bulls (@CHGO_Bulls) November 27, 2024
The Bulls are currently two games away from being a top-five seed and have wins over the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, and New York Knicks, all playoff teams in the standings. The smart move remains to tank, use the draft pick, gain future assets for their former All-Stars, and continue the rebuild. This winning rate and potential playoff berth will axe any prospect of trade activity, placing Chicago in a continued state of mediocrity. Even if this team reaches the postseason, they’ll be eliminated in the first round without a sustainable defensive force or half-court offensive attack.
Do you want the Bulls to start losing for the potential-filled future or continue to claw to the playoffs and roll the dice?
