The Bulls looked like losers at the trade deadline.
They traded a player who has scored over 10,000 points as a Bull, is a 2020 gold medalist, and a two-time All-Star for what seemed to be salary filler and their own 2025 first-round pick.
Those “salary-filling” players have stepped up and have led the Bulls to a positive record since the All-Star Break.
BEFORE THE ALL-STAR BREAK
The trade on paper looked terrible for the Bulls— all they gained was youth.
LaVine averages more points per game than Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and Zach Collins combined— the three players Chicago received in the trade.
The fit didn’t quite work out, either. The addition of Jones meant another guard on an already guard-heavy team, Collins became the third center on a team that doesn’t run two big men lineups, and Huerter is a three-point shooter who is having the worst shooting season of his career.
Before the All-Star break, Collins played a total of 12 minutes, and Huerter shot 18.2% from the floor and made 1/12 threes in their first three games with the Bulls. Jones seemed like the only productive player from the trade, but Chicago will likely lose him in free agency.
The Bulls lost all three of those games, giving up a 62-18 run against the Warriors and getting blown out by the Pistons twice. The only good thing you could say about the Bulls during that period is that they were successful at tanking.
AFTER THE ALL-STAR BREAK
Injuries piled up for Chicago after All-Star Weekend.
Nikola Vucevic missed seven games with a calf injury, Jalen Smith missed three games with a concussion, Patrick Williams missed nine games with a quad injury, and Josh Giddey missed four games with an ankle injury and Lonzo Ball has missed ten games with a wrist injury.
But Chicago’s new players rose to the occasion.
Collins got thrust into the starting lineup because of the injuries to Vucevic and Smith. He immediately improved Chicago’s paint defense while racking up multiple double-doubles. Collins’ impressive play led the Bulls to a 5-3 record with him as a starter, and he took over as the backup center when Vucevic got healthy.
Jones has filled in as an elite playmaker while Giddey has been absent. He is averaging 16.4 points and eight assists per game since Giddey’s injury and the Bulls are 3-1 in games he starts.
Huerter has looked like a completely different player since the All-Star break. He has scored 10+ points in 11 of his last 12 games. Huerter is also shooting 40% from three in his last five games and has come up big in clutch moments.
NEW OFFENSIVE PLAYSTYLE?
The Bulls have silently jumped from 14th in the NBA in points in the paint to fifth since the All-Star Break. This is mostly due to perimeter players driving to the basket and not from dominant post play. Giddey and Coby White have gone on career-best offensive stretches by constantly attacking the rim.
Driving to the basket has led to uncontested three-point attempts for shooters as well. Huerter has greatly benefitted from the defensive attention that Giddey and White receive.
The Bulls have remained in the top three in pace but are now taking more efficient shots, which is translating to wins. Chicago is 8-7 since the All-Star Break and is comfortably in the Play-In Tournament as the ninth seed in the East.
The Bulls are about to go through a treacherous five-game stretch where they play the Lakers twice, the Nuggets, and the Thunder. Chicago will see how they compare to three championship contenders.
Fans need to apologize to Arturas Karnisovas for the negative reactions to the LaVine trade and to Billy Donovan, as he has proved he can win games while prioritizing the development of young players.
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