There’s only 1 hot plot with Bulls

Bulls vice president Arturas Karnisovas laid the blame for the team’s failures last season squarely on his shoulders.

He made that clear after the Heat eliminated the Bulls again in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

“In this business, you win or you learn, so while I can be happy with some growth and learning this year, I won’t be satisfied until we bring a championship to the city of Chicago,” Karnisovas said in his news conference in April, putting a bow on yet another underachieving season for the organization.

“We will look for ways to improve, and we will address our shortcomings through the draft, trades and free agency. I take full responsibility, however, and recognize when changes need to be made, and I believe that time is now.”

Fast-forward to media day on Monday.

Changes were made in the last five months. Karnisovas was spot-on with that. But when it comes to those improvements Karnisovas was striving for, he seems to be playing the slow game.

In trading Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan, Karnisovas said goodbye to his best defender and top plus/minus guy in Caruso and to one of the elite closers in the game in DeRozan. And don’t forget that Andre Drummond, an elite rebounder off the bench, was allowed to walk.

But Karnisovas insisted the makeover isn’t complete.

He spoke about it during Summer League and again in a radio interview last week, making sure that, before the townspeople started gathering with torches around the United Center, there was a clear understanding that more changes were forthcoming.

What does that mean exactly?

Go ahead and restart the clock on the Zach LaVine trade watch.

It’s no longer if the Bulls are looking to move the two-time All-Star at this point; it’s if they’ll find any takers before the trade deadline in February.

And then if that deadline comes and goes without LaVine being moved, can the situation be resolved next offseason?

What happens on the court is almost secondary to Karnisovas finding a new home for LaVine.

It’s really the only major storyline for the Bulls.

Here are some secondary ones as camp is set to open:

Coby’s climb

Coby White flashed All-Star-caliber talent last season and was a finalist for Most Improved Player.

White, whose scoring went from 9.7 points per game to 19.1, earned big minutes in big moments. Now his defense has to take that jump to make him a true two-way guard. If White can do that in his sixth season, All-Star appearances will follow.

A leg up

What is Lonzo Ball, who hasn’t played in an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022, capable of after three surgeries on his left knee since joining the Bulls?

Camp will provide some answers as well as a possible plan for how Ball will factor into the rotation once the games begin. Josh Giddey will be the starting point guard, but Ball could have a say in the backup role and running the second unit.

Summer star

Matas Buzelis was a Summer League standout with an attitude. He brought an “it” factor that Bulls rookies have lacked since probably Bobby Portis. It will be a tough rotation to crack, but if this truly is a youth movement, then the Bulls have to give Buzelis a healthy dose of minutes.
vice president Arturas Karnisovas laid the blame for the team’s failures last season squarely on his shoulders.

He made that clear after the Heat eliminated the Bulls again in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

“In this business, you win or you learn, so while I can be happy with some growth and learning this year, I won’t be satisfied until we bring a championship to the city of Chicago,” Karnisovas said in his news conference in April, putting a bow on yet another underachieving season for the organization.

“We will look for ways to improve, and we will address our shortcomings through the draft, trades and free agency. I take full responsibility, however, and recognize when changes need to be made, and I believe that time is now.”

Fast-forward to media day on Monday.

Changes were made in the last five months. Karnisovas was spot-on with that. But when it comes to those improvements Karnisovas was striving for, he seems to be playing the slow game.

In trading Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan, Karnisovas said goodbye to his best defender and top plus/minus guy in Caruso and to one of the elite closers in the game in DeRozan. And don’t forget that Andre Drummond, an elite rebounder off the bench, was allowed to walk.

But Karnisovas insisted the makeover isn’t complete.

He spoke about it during Summer League and again in a radio interview last week, making sure that, before the townspeople started gathering with torches around the United Center, there was a clear understanding that more changes were forthcoming.

What does that mean exactly?

Go ahead and restart the clock on the Zach LaVine trade watch.

It’s no longer if the Bulls are looking to move the two-time All-Star at this point; it’s if they’ll find any takers before the trade deadline in February.

And then if that deadline comes and goes without LaVine being moved, can the situation be resolved next offseason?

What happens on the court is almost secondary to Karnisovas finding a new home for LaVine.

It’s really the only major storyline for the Bulls.

Here are some secondary ones as camp is set to open:

Coby’s climb

Coby White flashed All-Star-caliber talent last season and was a finalist for Most Improved Player.

White, whose scoring went from 9.7 points per game to 19.1, earned big minutes in big moments. Now his defense has to take that jump to make him a true two-way guard. If White can do that in his sixth season, All-Star appearances will follow.

A leg up

What is Lonzo Ball, who hasn’t played in an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022, capable of after three surgeries on his left knee since joining the Bulls?

Camp will provide some answers as well as a possible plan for how Ball will factor into the rotation once the games begin. Josh Giddey will be the starting point guard, but Ball could have a say in the backup role and running the second unit.

Summer star

Matas Buzelis was a Summer League standout with an attitude. He brought an “it” factor that Bulls rookies have lacked since probably Bobby Portis. It will be a tough rotation to crack, but if this truly is a youth movement, then the Bulls have to give Buzelis a healthy dose of minutes.