Getty Thaddeus Young defends Nikola Jokic in a March 1 game against the Denver Nuggets.
After winning four straight, the Chicago Bulls are teetering on a freefall, now having lost back-to-back games against the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. They’re now 15-18 and the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference.
But Monday night’s loss to Denver was born out of a failing effort from Chicago on the defensive end. MVP-candidate Nikola Jokic went off for 39 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists, two blocks, and a steal.
It was clear based on what was seen on the court, but head coach Billy Donovan reaffirmed postgame (via K.C. Johnson on Twitter) that the team just didn’t have any means of slowing down the Serbian big:
Donovan: “We didn’t have a lot of answers for Jokic.” Said doubling Jokic is tough because of his passing ability and Nuggets’ 3-point shooting.
There’s no better testament to Jokic’s absolute dominance in Chicago than a comparison of his two halves from Monday night. He walked into the first half with 16 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two blocks. Jokic walked out of the second half having recorded 23 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
The Bulls watched Denver’s MVP candidate play two whole games on Monday night, and that speaks to a bigger issue.
Chicago’s Defensive Flaws Lie Under the Basket
Per NBA.com, the Bulls are allowing nearly 50 points (49.9) in the paint, good for fourth-most in the entire league.
Against the Bulls on Monday night, Jokic didn’t make any of his three attempts from deep, meaning every basket he scored was within two-point field goal range, or directly under the basket. Reminder: he finished with 39 points.
Here’s a look at his shot chart, by zone, via NBA.com’s Game Charts.
Nikola Jokic didn’t make a single three-point attempt last night, and still racked up 39 points.
The Chicago Bulls are currently giving up almost 50 points nightly in the paint, fourth-most in the NBA.
It was third-year big Wendell Carter Jr who drew the assignment against Jokic, and as has become custom, he struggled largely. Chicago’s starting five has been made light work by the NBA’s best bigs recently.
Donovan recognizes that and has urged Carter to work on his three-point shot, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports:
Carter’s last made three-pointer came in their February 24 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. It marked his sixth make on the year, which ties his career-high. Carter’s made just six threes in each of his two previous seasons.
As Donovan noted, it’s not for lack of effort that the 21-year old is getting burned in these matchups. But at some point, when the model becomes so broken, someone is going to have to step up and fix it.
Would Thaddeus Young Make Sense in the Starting Lineup?
When watching the Chicago Bulls play, it’s hard not to address the elephant in the room, or in this case on the court. Veteran forward Thaddeus Young is the team’s best defensive player by a mile, and he’s coming off the bench.
The 32-year old veteran finished Monday night with five steals, making for his second such game this season. And per Basketball Reference, Young’s playing 48 percent of his minutes at the center position this year, a career-high. Would he make sense as a Wendell Carter Jr replacement, should Chicago’s struggles continue?
That much can only be answered by the front office, who’s got to make an even larger decision about his future with the Bulls. Young’s been one of the top discussed names ahead of the NBA’s March 25 trade deadline.
Maybe that’s all the more reason to give it a shot. Young was torched as much as anyone who matched up with Jokic on Monday night, including Carter and reserve big Luke Kornet. But maybe having him start these matchups as the defensive assignment on top bigs such as Denver’s could provide a more promising result?
Young held Jokic to 1-3 shooting from the field in his less than three minutes spent guarding the big on Monday night, per NBA.com’s Matchups tracker. On the other side of the ball, Chicago’s “MVP” went 2-5.
It’s clear the Chicago Bulls have got to make some adjustments on the defensive end. That starts at the center position, in regards to both rim protection and preventing high score performances in the paint.
READ NEXT: Former Defensive Player of the Year, Longtime Bull Retiring: Report