When a team loses four games in a row and has to have multiple team meetings in a season, some of which result in what can be described as a “blowup”, heads will roll. For the Chicago Bulls 12-18, the reports from several sources indicate a rift between almost everyone and star guard Zach LaVine.
But LaVine is the face of the franchise, fresh off of signing a five-year, $215 million max deal this past offseason.
He isn’t going anywhere unless he demands it and that has not happened yet.
In the meantime, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan made a tactical adjustment in the team’s 113-103 win over the Miami Heat who were missing both former Bulls guard Jimmy Butler and his running mate, Kyle Lowry.
Dosunmu’s Slide Continues
Donovan has called out his team’s lack of competitiveness amid their recent skid that has seen them earn just two wins in December.
Before that, he tried to send a message by benching the perceived wing links in his starting lineup – youngsters Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams – both of whom were contributing to losing more than winning as inexperienced players are wont to do. In the wake of the news that there is discord in the locker room, Donovan took it a step further.
Ayo Dosunmu has moved from starting to odd man out in guard rotation. Only 5 minutes tonight
Dosunmu finished with just one point, earned at the free throw line, along with one steal.
He was a minus-7 in just 5:23 of work, less than half of his previous season-low for minutes played in a single game.
On the season, the Chicago native is averaging 9.8 points on 58.7% true shooting. But, over his previous seven appearances in December, Dosunmu averaged just 7.4 points on 55.4% true shooting.
He has the worst net rating on the team at minus-15.8, per Cleaning The Glass.
It is quite a fall for a player who seemingly came out of nowhere after being a second-round pick last year only to start 40 games due to injury and lead the team in total appearances. He, along with Williams (who could be on his last legs as a starter after a six-point, four-assist-three rebound night against Miami) was supposed to take big leaps this season.
That has not happened for either player and the Bulls are worse because they banked heavily on what now seems like too lofty of expectations to put on a pair of 20-somethings.
Perhaps Dosunmu suffered a setback from the abdominal injury suffered a few games ago.
Still No Dalen Terry
For anyone hoping that rookie Dalen Terry could use the situation to his advantage and crack the rotation, possibly just mop–up duty, he was a healthy scratch even as the Bulls were getting beaten by the most points they’ve allowed in regulation since 1982.
If he could not get in that game, he is as far away as Donovan suggested and could have a hard time seeing any meaningful minutes this year barring an even steeper collapse and sell-off.
It is unfortunate as the 20-year-old possesses many of the traits the Bulls seem to lack.
Of course, the same thing was said about Dosunmu heading into this year as the debate raged on whether he should start only to have to see him regress. The Bulls could be doing Terry a favor by letting him build his experience in the G League while he works out the shortfalls in his game such as an inconsistent jump shot and turnovers.
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Beleaguered Bulls Prospect Pays Steep Price Amid Struggles