| News |
|---|
|
Lonzo Ball Bulls don't expect Lonzo Ball (knee) back next yr
Fri, Jun 23, 2023, 12:06 AM
Jamal Collier on Twitter
On Thursday, Bulls VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said that the team does not expect Lonzo Ball (left knee) to play next season.
Analysis: This is brutal news for Ball and the Bulls. It was reported in late May that the Bulls didn't think their starting point guard would be able to play again, much less next season. Now comes the task of accounting for Ball not being available. While Alex Caruso is under contract for next season, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu will be free agents. At a minimum, one would expect the Bulls to actively pursue point guards in free agency. In the case of White and Dosunmu, a return to Chicago could give them a better shot at fantasy relevance due to Ball's persistent knee issues. |
|
Derrick Jones Shams: Derrick Jones Jr. declining player option
Wed, Jun 21, 2023, 5:37 PM
Shams Charania on Twitter
Derrick Jones Jr. will decline his $3.3 million player option and become an unrestricted free agent, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Analysis: Jones has been a solid depth piece for Chicago over the past two seasons, but he hasn't played enough to make much of an impact in fantasy basketball. His athleticism will be immensely valuable to whatever teams signs him in free agency, but it's unlikely that he finds a role that allows him to be relevant in fantasy. |
|
Zach LaVine Report: Bulls to gauge trade waters on Zach LaVine
Thu, Jun 15, 2023, 12:14 PM
Jake Fischer on Twitter
The Bulls are said to be quietly gauging trade interest in Zach LaVine according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Analysis: The Bulls are in a position a few other teams find themselves in. A "will they or won't they" in terms of blowing it up and starting a rebuild. LaVine is no stranger to being involved in trade rumors though. The two-time All-Star is entering the second year of a 5-yr/$215M contract. Last season LaVine played in 77 games, the most he has played since the 2015-16 season. |
|
Andre Drummond Andre Drummond plans to exercise player option
Tue, Jun 6, 2023, 8:06 PM
NBC Sports Chicago
Andre Drummond said recently that he plans on exercising his player option for the 2023-24 season.
Analysis: Drummond, who appeared in 67 games this season as Nikola Vucevic's backup, will make a little under $3.4 million should he follow through on the plan to opt-in. While he was effective in that role, playing less than 13 minutes per game considerably limited Drummond's fantasy value. At best, he's a player worth rostering only when Vucevic is sidelined due to injury. And those opportunities will be minimal, as Vooch has appeared in 70 games or more in four of the last five seasons. |
|
Nikola Vucevic Shams: Bulls, Nikola Vucevic open extension talks
Wed, May 31, 2023, 6:25 PM
The Athletic
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Bulls and Nikola Vucevic have begun discussing a possible contract extension.
Analysis: Vucevic is due to be a free agent at the end of June, but he and the Bulls are allowed to discuss a possible extension. Per the report, both sides are interested in getting a deal done before Vooch can hit the open market. Vucevic played in all 82 games for the Bulls this season, averaging 17.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.5 3-pointers in 33.5 minutes. And he did so with solid percentages, recording shooting splits of 52.0% from the field (highest since 2014-15), 34.9% from three, and 83.5% from the foul line. Vucevic outperformed his Yahoo ADP (35), finishing the season ranked just outside the top 25 in 9-cat, per-game value (33rd in 8-cat). |
|
Lonzo Ball Report: Bulls unsure if Lonzo Ball will play again
Sun, May 28, 2023, 11:17 AM
Daniel Greenberg on Twitter
The Bulls âprivately donât think that itâs likely Lonzo Ball will ever play again,â according to a report from Dan Bernstein on the Organizations Win Championships Podcast.
Analysis: Itâs certainly a worst-case scenario outlook, but it shouldnât be a surprising report, since it has been a year and a half since Ball has played. There have been numerous reports suggesting that the doctors donât know what is wrong with his knee, and he had a third surgery in March. Lonzo is obviously a talented player that can make a huge fantasy impact when heâs healthy, but a report like this is grim. He could certainly make a miraculous recovery, but it may be a long time before that happens. |
|
Coby White Coby White hopes to remain with Bulls this summer
Sat, Apr 15, 2023, 6:48 PM
NBC Sports Chicago
Coby White said during his season-ending press conference that he hopes to remain with the Bulls in free agency.
Analysis: White will be a restricted free agent this summer, the first time that he's been able to hit the open market. And his hope is that he'll remain with the team that selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. "It is new for me, obviously being a restricted free agent, so I hope it works out for the best," White said on Saturday. "I love Chicago. I love my teammates. I love the front office. So, you know, I would like to be back, but a lot of that's out of my control. It's a business at the end of the day, and I understand decisions have to be made. So if I'm back, great. But if I'm not, you know, you got to live with it." Appearing in 75 games, White averaged 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.7 3-pointers in 23.4 minutes, shooting 44.3% from the field and 87.1% from the foul line. |
|
Nikola Vucevic Nikola Vucevic scores 12 with nine boards vs. Heat
Fri, Apr 14, 2023, 9:38 PM
Nikola Vucevic shot 6-of-9 from the field in Friday's 102-91 loss to Miami, scoring 12 points with nine rebounds and one assist in 34 minutes.
Analysis: Vucevic may have reached double figures and finished Friday's game one rebound shy of a double-double, but his impact on the game was muted. That can't be said for his fantasy value, however, as Vooch was a 3rd-round player in 8- and 9-cat formats. He outperformed his Yahoo ADP of 35.0 by a few spots in both, averaging 17.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.4 3-pointers in 33.6 minutes per game, shooting 52.0% from the field and 83.8% from the foul line. The points, rebounds, and assists matched Vucevic's averages from last season, but his field goal percentage increased by nearly five points. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and addressing the center position (either by re-signing Vucevic or going in another direction) will be a priority for the Bulls. |
|
Coby White Coby White posts 14/5/4/1/1 stat line vs. Heat
Fri, Apr 14, 2023, 9:32 PM
Coby White accounted for 14 points (5-of-10 FGs), five rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block, and four 3-pointers in 31 minutes in Friday's 102-91 loss to the Heat.
Analysis: White reached double figures in six of his final eight games to end this season, but inconsistency was an issue throughout for the fourth-year guard. He played well on Friday, but the Bulls went with Patrick Beverley (two rebounds, four assists in 27 minutes) down the stretch. Chicago's offense stalled out, and they were unable to get the stops needed to withstand that. With 73 of his 75 appearances coming as a reserve, White's scoring dropped three points per game from the 2021-22 campaign. Entering the season with a Yahoo ADP of 142.8, he finished the season ranked 200th in 8-cat, per-game value, and just inside that threshold in 9-cat. White will be a restricted free agent this summer, and he's a late-round player at best in fantasy leagues right now. |
|
Alex Caruso Alex Caruso puts up 16 with four triples vs. Heat
Fri, Apr 14, 2023, 9:24 PM
Alex Caruso finished his season with a line of 16 points (6-of-11 FGs), three rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block, and four 3-pointers in 30 minutes during Friday's 102-91 loss to the Heat.
Analysis: Nagged by a sore foot for most of the post-All-Star break portion of the season, Caruso played well in Friday's play-in tournament finale. Shooting better than 50% from the field, the 16 points are the most he's scored in a game this season (and his 11th double-digit scoring effort). With a Yahoo ADP of 117.8, fantasy managers expected late-round production from Caruso, and that's what they got. He finished the season as an 11th-round player in 8- and 9-cat formats. Having an offseason to get back to full strength should help Caruso and the same can be said for the expected absence of Lonzo Ball (knee), who isn't expected to be ready for the start of next season. |
|
Zach LaVine Zach LaVine struggles with shot in loss to Heat
Fri, Apr 14, 2023, 9:15 PM
K.C. Johnson on Twitter
Zach LaVine shot 6-of-21 from the field and 3-of-5 from the foul line in Friday's 102-91 loss to Miami, accumulating 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 41 minutes.
Analysis: Two days removed from a stellar 30-point second half in a win over the Raptors in Toronto, LaVine had a rough night in Miami. In addition to the poor overall field-goal percentage, he missed all six of his 3-point attempts and committed a team-worst five turnovers. That was quite the departure from LaVine's usual production, as he averaged 24.9 points per game on 48.3% shooting during the regular season. Finishing the year ranked just outside the top 50 in 9-cat formats, LaVine was just inside that threshold in 8-cat but finished shy of his Yahoo ADP in both (40.6). Even with the poor ending to this season, LaVine should not be available outside the top 50 in fantasy drafts next fall. |
|
DeMar DeRozan DeMar DeRozan scores 26 in season finale vs. Heat
Fri, Apr 14, 2023, 9:08 PM
DeMar DeRozan shot 9-of-19 from the field and 8-of-9 from the foul line in Friday's 102-91 loss to the Heat, accounting for 26 points, four rebounds, nine assists, and one steal in 39 minutes.
Analysis: After becoming the first 10-seed to win a game in the play-in tournament on Wednesday (Oklahoma City became the second a few hours later), Chicago failed in its quest to become the first to advance into the playoffs. DeRozan did what he could to take on more of the scoring load, but Zach LaVine shooting 6-of-21 from the field didn't help matters. Entering the season with a Yahoo ADP of 31.3, DeRozan finished this season ranked 27th in 9-cat, per-game value, and 31st in 8-cat (punting turnovers). He certainly lived up to the fantasy expectations this season. He's heading into the final season of his current contract and will turn 34 this August; as a result, DeRozan's ADP could drop a few spots in the fall. |
|
Nikola Vucevic Nikola Vucevic records 14/13/4/1/1 line vs Raptors
Wed, Apr 12, 2023, 9:06 PM
Nikola Vucevic played 39 minutes in Wednesday's 109-105 win over Toronto, accounting for 14 points (6-of-14 FGs, 2-of-2 FTS), 13 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one blocked shot.
Analysis: Vooch didn't do as much scoring as Zach LaVine (39 points) or DeMar DeRozan (23), but he did record a double-double with a full line while outplaying Raptors center Jakob Poeltl. At a minimum, the Bulls will need a similar effort from Vucevic if they're to beat the Heat on Friday due to the presence of Bam Adebayo. In three regular-season meetings between the two teams, Vucevic averaged 19.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 3-pointers, shooting 63.2% from the field and 100% from the foul line. The winner of Friday's game will be the 8-seed in the East, with Milwaukee being their first-round opponent. |
|
DeMar DeRozan DeMar DeRozan scores 23 with seven boards vs. TOR
Wed, Apr 12, 2023, 8:59 PM
ESPN on Twitter
DeMar DeRozan accounted for 23 points (10-of-19 FGs, 3-of-5 FTs), seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocked shots in Wednesday's 109-105 win over Toronto.
Analysis: While DeRozan took a back seat to Zach LaVine offensively in Wednesday's play-in tournament victory, with the latter scoring 30 of his 39 points after halftime, he still shot better than 50% from the field. DeRozan also gave DFS players solid production in the rebound, assist, and blocked shot categories while committing just one turnover. The Bulls now head to Miami to take on the Heat Friday night, with the winner getting the 8-seed in the East. |
|
Zach LaVine Zach LaVine scores 30 second-half points vs. TOR
Wed, Apr 12, 2023, 8:56 PM
Zach LaVine shot 12-of-22 from the field and 13-of-15 from the foul line in Wednesday's 109-105 win over the Raptors, scoring 39 points with seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 40 minutes.
Analysis: After scoring nine points in the first half, LaVine took over in the third quarter. He scored 17 points in the frame, and another 13 in the fourth helped the Bulls become the first 10-seed to win a game in the play-in tournament (1-4). LaVine finished the regular season ranked just inside the top 50 in 9-cat formats, not far off from his Yahoo ADP of 40.6. Next up for Chicago is a game against the Heat in Miami on Friday, with the winner advancing to play 1-seed Milwaukee in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. |
|
Zach LaVine Zach LaVine logs 26 minutes in blowout win vs. DET
Sun, Apr 9, 2023, 3:27 PM
Zach LaVine accounted for 17 points (6-of-15 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), three rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer in Sunday's 103-81 win over the Pistons, playing 26 minutes.
Analysis: LaVine played the most of any of Chicago's five starters, with DeMar DeRozan (16/2/5/1 with one 3-pointer) and Patrick Beverley (2/2/4/3/1) logging 24 minutes apiece. There wasn't much need to push those guys any further, as the Bulls visit Toronto for a play-in game on Wednesday. Carlik Jones (11/1/3/1 with one 3-pointer) and Dalen Terry (10/3/1/3/1) reached double figures off the bench, but they won't be part of the rotation later this week or into the postseason should the Bulls qualify. The winner of Wednesday's game will visit the loser of Tuesday's game between Atlanta and Miami for the right to be the 8-seed in the East. |
|
DeMar DeRozan CHI starting Bev, LaVine, DeRozan, Caruso, Vooch
Sun, Apr 9, 2023, 11:36 AM
Chicago Bulls on Twitter
The Bulls will start Patrick Beverley, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso and Nikola Vucevic against the Pistons on Sunday.
Analysis: Billy Donovan said that their starters won't play their usual roles, and there is no reason for them to. Guys like Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Andre Drummond should benefit greatly, though it may not be until the second half. |
|
Zach LaVine Zach LaVine (knee) will play Sunday vs. Detroit
Sun, Apr 9, 2023, 10:28 AM
K.C. Johnson on Twitter
Zach LaVine (left knee injury management) will be available to play against the Pistons on Sunday.
Analysis: Billy Donovan made it clear that their starters won't play their normal roles in this game. LaVine's limited minutes should allow guys like Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White to thrive once again. |
|
Patrick Beverley Patrick Beverley (rest) removed from injury report
Sat, Apr 8, 2023, 7:04 PM
NBA Injury Report
Patrick Beverley (rest) is not on the injury report for Sunday's game against the Pistons.
Analysis: Beverley appears poised to play on Sunday after sitting out Friday's win over the Mavericks. However, Chicago's locked into the 10-seed in the East, so their key players may not see much action against the Pistons. Beverley hasn't been a great fantasy option since arriving in Chicago, with his value to the team's rotation being considerably higher. |
|
Zach LaVine Zach LaVine (knee) questionable Sunday vs. Pistons
Sat, Apr 8, 2023, 7:01 PM
NBA Injury Report
Zach LaVine (left knee injury management) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Pistons.
Analysis: LaVine was held out of Friday's win over the Mavericks, as were DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Beverley. While the latter two are not on the injury report for Sunday's regular-season finale, LaVine is questionable to play. Chicago knows its seed and opponent for the play-in tournament (Toronto), so LaVine may not play very much if he's cleared. |
Connect With Us:
