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The Chicago Bulls made tremendous strides this season but have to make smart moves this offseason to take another step forward. Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes thinks that they could turn to one of the NBA’s modern models of consistency in the Golden State Warriors for a part of the solution.
Trade proposals have been hot and heavy for the Bulls since their 4-1 first-round playoff defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks.
This suggestion falls more in line with the message of “improving on the margins” that Bulls vice president of basketball operations spoke of in his exit interview.
The Golden State Warriors have been masters of that as repeat luxury taxpayers. One of those gems, Juan Toscano-Anderson, could be just the kind of two-way player that the Bulls need to fill out their roster.
Switchability is His Calling Card
The argument for Toscano-Anderson is based on the lack of versatility in the Bulls’ top player. Specifically, Nikola Vucevic’s inability to defend when current NBA offenses go small-ball.
Juan Toscano-Anderson is as versatile and positionless as defenders get—literally, if you use BBall Index’s Defensive Versatility score, where JTA ranked highest in the league in 2021-22.
Toscano-Anderson posted the second-worst defensive rating and fifth-worst efficiency differential on the Warriors this season, per Cleaning the Glass. But he had the fifth-best defensive rating on the team in 2021.
Vucevic has his uses, but Chicago lacks a defensive option to deploy against smaller units and offenses that are adept at exploiting conventional bigs in the pick-and-roll.
Toscano-Anderson did not defend roll men much – just 2.7% of the time, per NBA.com. But he did hold them to 33.3% shooting in those instances.
He was also credited – with holding his assignments 10.9% below their usual field goal percentage through the Warriors’ first two playoff games, per NBA.com. During the regular season, his matchups shot 0.7% worse when he guarded them.
Perfect Complement for Vooch
Trying to cover up for Vucevic’s deficiencies has often just left the Bulls vulnerable in other areas. And when there are breakdowns in front of him on the perimeter, things become exponentially more difficult for the Bulls defensively.
Nikola Vucevic offers stretch on offense, but he’s strictly a one-position defender whose poor rim protection makes drop coverage dangerous. Bringing him to the level of the screen…still opens up attack lanes for offenses to get downhill in advantage situations.
Vucevic’s efficiency differential was only better than Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams among the usual rotation players during the regular season, per Cleaning the Glass.
Chicago lacks a defensive option to deploy against smaller units and offenses that are adept at exploiting conventional bigs in the pick-and-roll.
In a perfect world, Williams is that option. The fourth-overall pick in 2021 has flashed offensively but has, admittedly, not shown consistency. Perhaps his “summer from hell” with DeMar DeRozan will help him unlock that part of his game.
Even if he does, the Bulls need more players that fit that profile.
From G-League to GSW
Toscano-Anderson’s story from G-League to being a part of the Warriors rotation is a testament to the type of player he is. One that the Warriors could certainly look to bring back, writes Fadeaway World’s Addam Goldman.
It seems likely that Warriors management will bring their young energizer back next season on a minimum deal unless another squad lures him away with a better multi-year contract
The Warriors signed their find to a two-year deal in March of 2021. He will be a restricted free agent if they extend the qualifying offer worth $2.1 million.
Due to their status as repeat taxpayers, they would have to pay $4.75 for every dollar they gave Toscano-Anderson, per Hoops Rumors. That would be a total of nearly $10 million for a player they have taken out of their rotation which could leave him vulnerable to being plucked away by another team.
The Bulls could try to be that team with their mid-level exception. Toscano-Anderson could be a key piece to remaking the Bulls’ bench.
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