The new run-and-gun Chicago Bulls returned to the West Side on Saturday for their home opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, giving fans a glimpse of the kind of up-tempo offense that should at the very least be fun to watch.
At least that’s the plan, and you know what they say about the best-laid ones.
It didn’t pan out in the opening loss against the New Orleans Pelicans, a 21-turnover night that was hard for some to watch, even for those fortunate enough to get the new Chicago Sports Network in their households.
But it worked like a charm Friday in their 133-122 win in Milwaukee, shooting 47.7% from 3-point range against the Bucks, including 7-for-13 shooting from beyond the arc from Coby White, who rebounded from a rough opener with a 35-point effort.
So which Bulls team is is going to show up on a nightly basis?
That’s the big question, and one that’s going to take awhile to answer as the Bulls attempt to hone their identity.
Letting DeMar DeRozan leave for the Sacramento Kings and trading Alex Caruso to the Thunder for Josh Giddey were the two biggest offseason decisions by Bulls management, and both moves were made with this kind of high-octane offense in mind. The Bulls wanted to run more and shoot more 3s, and in effect swapped Caruso’s defensive prowess for a potentially more explosive scoring attack.
“One of the things we had talked about at the end of last season is from an identity standpoint, ‘How can we get back to playing how I think we all want to play?’ ” coach Billy Donovan said before Saturday’s game at the United Center. “Alex is kind of a Swiss Army knife, played point guard, 3 guard, power forward, and guarded the best guys in the league.
“But a lot of times we didn’t necessarily have a pure point guard out there either, and I think that’s where the Josh conversation came in.”
It’s too soon to judge the Giddey effect on the Bulls, though if Friday was any indication they’re going to have to win most of their games by shooting 3s without any conscience.
That’s not always a recipe for success, especially when White is having an off night, as he still has on occasion despite his improvement. But when White is sizzling and Giddey is running the offense above the speed limit, it’s a refreshing change from the recent past, even if the defense will have to suffer as a result.
The 21 3s the Bulls sank Friday against the Bucks was only the eighth time in franchise history they hit 20 or more in a game. And it also was the most since hitting a franchise record 25 3-pointers on Feb. 10, 2021.
It’ seems like almost a given that the Bulls will break that record in 2024-25, thanks to an offensive philosophy that now conforms with the rest of the league.
A reliable point guard is going to be the key, and Lonzo Ball, who made his triumphant return to the UC on Saturday after missing 2½ seasons from three knee surgeries since Jan. 14, 2022, is obviously the guy you’d want to run the Bulls offense in a perfect world. He’s also a much better defender than Giddey, even on what Ball has called his “brand new knee.”
But the minutes limit placed on Ball, who sat out Friday’s game because he won’t play in back-to-backs yet, makes that impossible for the time being. Ball understands he’s going to have to be patient while he gets more comfortable playing on the new left knee and will have to sacrifice his ego to become an important bench piece behind Giddey.
“I think they were trying to do what’s best for the team,” Ball said on media day about the acquisition of Giddey. “Obviously we had a lot of success when I was running point guard, getting rebounds, pushing it up. And Giddey is capable of doing the same thing.
“I look at it as they want to win the most games possible and they feel like he can do it, and that’s why he’s here.”
Having a backup center in Jalen Smith who can also hit 3s, as opposed to old-school center Andre Drummond, could allow Donovan to be more creative with his rotations, perhaps resting Nikola Vučević for longer stretches if he sees fit. In a long NBA season, every chance for Vučević to get a break now should help keep him stronger for the stretch. Since the Bulls insist they’re still trying to make the playoffs, a stretch run is theoretically possible.
Some have called the new offense “Billy Ball,” which in truth should have been trademarked by former baseball manager Billy Martin, the actual inventor. But Donovan isn’t looking to take any credit for a style that he said is part of the changing NBA.
“I don’t know if I like ‘Billy Ball,’ ” he said of the term, adding that it’s really about tailoring a team to its personnel.
“The game has maybe changed, but the things that go into winning haven’t changed,” he said. “The same things that impacted and created what you had to do to win have not changed at all.”
Donovan mentioned rebounding, getting back in transition, defending, and sharing the ball — the “staples” of the game. But taking advantage of the skill set of the individual players is his job, and making it work on a nightly basis is his biggest challenge.
“How do you create a situation where maybe the whole can be greater than the parts,” he said. “And you do that collectively. Certainly with the way we’re trying to play this year, it’s different from what it was last year.
“But I think this team is more conducive that, and you try to let those guys see the vision and own the vision and work toward that on a consistent basis.”
Donovan’s vision will be on display all season long.
The Bulls might not be as good as they insist, but they certainly won’t be boring.
