Getty Stephen A. Smith believes DeMar DeRozen and Zach LaVine are not a strong combo for the Bulls.
Arturas Karnisovas was not coy in his vision of rebuilding the Bulls with his hands on the purse strings for the first time in his tenure as president of basketball operations.
Securing Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso landed Chicago two true point guards who could help on both sides of the floor. The latest signing of four-time All-Star two-guard DeMar DeRozan has added an elite scorer alongside Zach LaVine in what was already a splashy offseason.
But will DeRozan entering the Bulls lineup lead to a deep postseason run or sell seats at the United Center off name recognition.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes the latter, claiming that LaVine and DeRozan are not a good fit together.
The latest Bulls news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Bulls newsletter here!
Smith Believes DeRozan & LaVine Are Not a Good Fit
On ESPN’s First Take, Smith expressed his doubts about LaVine and DeRozan playing together due to their similar playing styles as shooting guards.
“In Chicago, you might have talent… I don’t think the combination of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine work. Don’t get me wrong, one or the other, yes, but not both of them together,” Smith said.
Smith was comparing whether the Bulls or the New York Knicks have a brighter future and took a homer stance by choosing his hometown team.
But he did point out that Chicago still has miserable prospects on defense, which won’t bode well in the postseason.
Follow the Heavy on Bulls Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors, and content!
DeRozan & LaVine Could Thrive
DeRozan joining LaVine gives the Bulls two of the hardest players to guard in the league.
“Only 12 players averaged more points than DeRozan (3.6) in isolation last season, and he ranked in the 96th percentile with 1.20 points per possession. LaVine wasn’t far behind him, ranking 20th with 2.7 isolation points per game and in the 92nd percentile with 1.14 points per possession,” NBA.com‘s
DeRozan is an elite midrange scorer, shooting 47.1 percent from that distance. However, he’ll have to remain respectful from beyond the arc to help Chicago’s spacing and motion offense thrive.
But with a trio of lethal ballhandlers in LaVine, DeRozan and Ball, the Bulls could prove to be a mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses. Nikola Vucevic should benefit in the pick-and-roll, where he scored the fourth-most points of any big man. He’s also fourth among bigs in threes made (422) over the last four seasons, which should keep the offense’s looks enigmatic.
“The player who should benefit the most from the addition of DeRozan is LaVine, who has seen his usage rate skyrocket since being traded to the Bulls,” Rafferty said. “It could take them some time to figure out how to play off of one another since they’re both at their best when they have the ball in their hands – ditto for Vucevic, who is a gifted playmaker out of the post and elbows – but LaVine won’t have to create as much offensively, allowing him to pick and choose his spots more.”
Currently, defense remains the biggest question mark on the roster, which Chicago could still address through free agency. But with the roster as it stands, the team has the firepower to end its postseason drought and become a destination for more talent.