Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

It may certainly be more compelling, and definitely less odd, to have one of the three teams from the Chicago Bulls’ first three-peat of the 1990s dynasty to face off against one of the three teams from the second three-peat as we Settle the Argument of the greatest team in franchise history.

But simulated games don’t lie. And with the help of our partners at Strat-O-Matic, the No. 3-seeded 1996-97 Bulls upset the No. 2-seeded 1991-92 Bulls in one semifinal matchup.

You knew which team would be waiting out of the other semifinal matchup—the 72-win 1995-96 Bulls. This is the team many consider to be the greatest of all-time in the NBA.

And who, outside of some people in the Bay Area and perhaps some elder Celtics or Lakers fans, is to argue? The 1995-96 Bulls not only won a then-record 72 games but posted a net rating of plus-13.4.

They didn’t just beat opponents. They played them into submission.

Will they do the same to the 1996-97 team that won 69 games? We have real play-by-play and box scores to show you.

Game 1

We’re not going to lie: This matchup presents some odd matchups. Obviously, Scottie Pippen would guard Michael Jordan and vice versa. But moving past the odd picture of a Luc Longley vs. Longley opening tip, who’s keeping Dennis Rodman off the boards?

Not the 1996-97 version of Rodman.

The 1995-96 Rodman had his best offensive showing of the playoffs with 11 points and 21 rebounds, seven of them offensive. That led to putbacks on the rare occurrence that Jordan missed—which wasn’t much since he scored 51 points.

The 1996-97 Jordan shot just 8-for-24. Ballgame, 112-101.

Game 2

Jordan scored 29 points, Pippen added 24 and Toni Kukoc joined the party with 20 as the 1995-96 team took a commanding, 2-0 series lead with a 109-86 cakewalk.

How easy was it? How does 34 fast-break points and just 12 turnovers sound? Like we said, this team didn’t just beat opponents. They played them into submission.

And they defended to no end. The 1996-97 team shot just 36 percent.

Game 3

If the 1996-97 team was going to win any game in the series, role players would have to step up. And that’s exactly what happened in their 115-109 triumph.

Ron Harper sank a huge 3-pointer and Rodman scored on a fast break to thwart a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the 1995-96 team.

Pippen’s 32 points led five in double figures, helping the 1996-97 team survive an off night from Jordan, who managed 18 points on 6-for-19 shooting. Harper scored 21 points, while Steve Kerr added 19.

Game 4

The most dominant aspect to the 1995-96 team is how they could beat teams at either end. That’s how good their No. 1-ranked offense and No. 1-ranked defense were. They could provide in that moment what the game needed.

And so it was with a relatively ho-hum 107-97 victory in which the 1996-97 team managed just 44 percent shooting.

Longley, as he often did, scored most of his 10 points in the first quarter. And Jordan (29 points), Pippen (21) and Kukoc (14) took it from there, putting the 1995-96 team on the precipice of victory.

Game 5

Jordan in closeout games meant Jordan in attack mode. Translated: Expect many trips to the basket and/or free-throw line.

The 1995-96 team trailed by as many as 19 in the first half. No bother. Jordan kept attacking and sank 16 of 17 free throws as part of his 28 points in the taut 102-99 victory.

And that’s a wrap. The 1995-96 team is the greatest Bulls team of all-time, by virtue of a 4-1 series victory over the 1996-97 team and with the help of our partners at Strat-0-Matic, who supplied simulated games with play-by-play and box scores.

Reading through these is like reading a good book, hearkening back to a sublime time in Chicago sports, a time when the Bulls authored one of the greatest dynasties in sports history.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Of the many amazing aspects to the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty of the 1990s, perhaps this is most impressive: Over six championship runs, the franchise only faced two elimination games—and none in the NBA Finals.

In fact, not until the sixth and final title run did the Bulls need a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals. Their 24-8 record over six conference finals stood at 20-5 before the Bulls needed seven games to eliminate the Indiana Pacers in 1998.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that as we look to Settle the Argument of the greatest Bulls team of all-time, the semifinal matchups are fairly one-sided. It’s just part of these victorious teams’ DNA.

Let’s not bury the lead: With the help of our partners at Strat-O-Matic, simulated games with real play-by-play and box scores have been staged as we determine the greatest Bulls team of all-time.

The top-two seeds, the 1995-96 Bulls and the 1991-92 Bulls, received byes. Last week, the No. 3-seeded 1996-97 Bulls swept the No. 6-seeded 1992-93 Bulls 3-0 in one quarterfinal matchup. And the No. 5-seeded 1990-91 Bulls defeated the No. 4-seeded 1997-98 Bulls 3-1 in the other quarterfinal.

So let the semifinal matchups begin.

No. 1 seed 1995-96 Bulls vs. No. 5 seed 1990-91 Bulls

Michael Jordan had no sympathy for the first title team. Then again, Jordan never had much sympathy for anything, really.

The 1990-91 Bulls finished seventh in defensive rating, allowing 105.2 points per 100 possessions. All Jordan did in Games 1 and 2 was average almost exactly half that, scoring 54 points in the opener and 52 points in the next meeting to establish the 72-win team’s dominance.

The 1995-96 Bulls, who led the NBA in offensive, defensive and net ratings, led by as many as 30 in the opener. Scottie Pippen added 24 points and Steve Kerr contributed 16 in the 132-107 blowout.

In Game 2, Pippen added 31 points. The 1995-96 Bulls scored 67 points in the first half to lead by 27 at halftime and cruise to the 131-88 victory.

Game 3 showcased the 1995-96 team’s offensive depth as Jordan “only” scored 37 points, while Pippen added 28 and Toni Kukoc (17 points) and Ron Harper (14) also reached double figures. For the third straight game, the 1990-91 team never led and found itself on the precipice of an ignominious sweep.

But the 1990-91 team had some pride. After all, this is the team that finally broke through the Detroit Pistons to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Playing at the old Chicago Stadium, John Paxson sank two big free throws and Horace Grant added a huge hoop late to stave off elimination and the sweep. The younger Jordan scored 35.

But the 1995-96 team cruised to the 4-1 series victory with a 121-88 blowout in Game 4. Jordan scored 12 straight points down the stretch as part of his 42 points, with Pippen adding 22 points and five players in double figures.

No. 3 seed 1996-97 Bulls vs. No. 2 seed 1991-92 Bulls

Unsurprisingly, Jordan—young and old—stood at the center of the storyline to Game 1.

The older Jordan flirted with a triple double for the 1996-97 team, finishing with 39 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in the 123-111 victory. The 1996-97 team used a 40-point fourth quarter to break open a close game late. The younger Jordan, hounded by Pippen, shot just 8-for-24.

In Game 2, the 1991-92 team evened the series with a 120-105 triumph. Jordan, Pippen and Grant all topped 20 points, while the older Jordan struggled this time. He shot just 6-for-26.

Back at the United Center, the 1996-97 team took a 3-1 series lead with workmanlike victories of 115-100 and 126-120. Game 4 produced the most Dennis Rodman-esque box score ever with 14 rebounds and 0 points on just one shot. Talk about the perfect addition.

And that brings us to general manager Jerry Krause, who assembled these two separate three-peat teams. The late, Hall of Fame executive kept Jordan and Pippen as the constants through the six championships and mirrored Grant with Rodman, Bill Cartwright with Luc Longley and Paxson with Kerr for the separate three-peats.

But there were other important moves. B.J. Armstrong played such an underrated role on the first three-peat teams, as did Ron Harper for the second. The Bulls don’t win Game 7 of the 1998 Eastern Conference finals without Kukoc. And on and on and on.

Back to semifinal action, the 1991-92 Bulls staved off elimination in a 107-94 Game 5 victory. Pippen (28 points, 11 rebounds), Jordan (25 points, 12 assists) and Grant (12 points, 11 rebounds) each posted double-doubles.

But the 1995-96 team closed out the six-game series with a 113-96 victory as Jordan, as he so often did, placed an exclamation point on the proceedings. The older Jordan scored 40 points to lead five in double figures, including Kukoc, who had his best game of the series with 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Check back later this week for the final pitting the 1995-96 Bulls against the 1996-97 Bulls.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

There’s a simple reason why Coby White attempted a season-high 13 3-pointers in the Chicago Bulls’ victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night at the United Center.

“Uh, well, because I was getting in trouble a lot for not taking them,” White said with his typically mischievous grin. “There were a couple film sessions (coach) Billy (Donovan) kind of stopped the film and said shoot the ball when I wasn’t shooting it. Everybody from my teammates to my staff to the front office was telling me, ‘Don’t pass up any shots. Shoot it.’ We don’t care if you go 0-for-10 or 0-for-15.”

Luckily for the Bulls, White tied his career-high by making eight of his 13 attempts, scoring a season-high 31 points to go along with a season-high nine rebounds and six assists.

“He was ultra-aggressive, ultra-confident, decisive. Cob was Cob. We don’t get this win without him,” DeMar DeRozan said. “He was special.”

The night continued a torrid stretch for White, who has the longest current streak in the NBA with eight games with at least three 3-pointers made. White is now shooting a career-high 40.3 percent from 3-point range on a career-high 7.1 attempts.

And this is after an extremely slow shooting start in which his percentage hovered near 25 percent as he tried to balance starting point-guard responsibilities and an improved defensive edge.

“It wasn’t really weighing on me. They all felt pretty good when I was shooting coming off my hand. They just weren’t going in,” White said. “Working with (director of player development) Peter Patton helped me a lot. I finally started to learn my shot. Before this, everybody said I could really shoot so nobody ever taught me how to learn my shot. I kind of just shot the ball. He’s been a big help in helping me learn my shot, why I miss.”

Asked what specifically Patton helped him with, White didn’t hesitate.

“I think the main thing with me was getting back rim, squaring my body up to the rim and then holding my release and holding my follow-through in the basket. I had a tendency to either snatch my follow-through or follow-through to the right,” White said. “And a lot of those times my ball would go right and those would be the times I’d miss. Those are the things I focused on.”

White may not still be a quintessential point guard. But he’s playing the best basketball of his young career.

“He definitely wanted to be the player he’s showing he is,” DeRozan said. “I worked out with Coby a lot this summer. His drive is amazing. He always asks questions. He’s always listening. He always wants to figure out how he can be better, how he can help.”

And building on last season’s strong season that led to his three-year contract in free agency, White’s work is continuing to pay dividends.

“I knew coming into the league that I had a lot to learn and a lot of room to grow. I just tried to get better every day and do what I needed to do to stay consistent,” White said. “My main thing coming into this season was I just wanted to win and play as good as we’re capable of because I love this team and love this group of guys.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

With the In-Season Tournament knockout games set and the Chicago Bulls on the outside looking in, what better time to Settle the Argument of the greatest Bulls team of all-time?

With the help of our partners at Strat-O-Matic, simulated games with real play-by-play and box scores will play out over the coming days to crown a champion. And what delicious dynastic matchups await.

The top-two seeds, the 1995-96 Bulls and 1991-92 Bulls, received byes. The best-of-five quarterfinal matchups are the No. 3 seeded 1996-97 Bulls vs. the No. 6-seeded 1992-93 Bulls and the No. 4-seeded 1997-98 Bulls vs. the No. 5-seeded 1990-91 Bulls.

Those teams merely went a combined 249-79 during their regular seasons.

Right from the opening tip of their Game 1 quarterfinal matchup, the 1996-97 team meant business. Michael Jordan sliced inside to score 12 seconds after tipoff to open a 16-3 run on the 1992-93 Bulls to announce this could be a short series.

It’s no surprise. The 1996-97 team led the league in offensive and net rating and finished fourth in defensive rating. They stormed to their title with just four playoff losses.

Ultimately, the 1996-97 team prevailed 116-108 in the opener. Scottie Pippen scored 36 points and Jordan added 33 while Dennis Rodman grabbed 12 rebounds. Jordan and Pippen only combined for 52 points for the 1992-93 team, a testament to the 1996-97 squad’s long-armed defense featuring Ron Harper and Toni Kukoc.

That defense only intensified in the second game as the 1996-97 team prevailed 95-87 over the 1992-93 team. Pippen sank a 3-pointer with 6 minutes, 16 seconds left to break a tie and open a game-changing 9-2 run. Pippen again led the 1996-97 team with 30 points, while Jordan added 25 and Rodman snagged 16 rebounds.

During the regular season, Pippen played his jack-of-all-trades game. He averaged 20.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.9 steals and 0.5 blocks. He also played all 82 games and averaged close to 38 minutes a game. He was relentless.

The 1996-97 closed out the quarterfinal sweep with a 120-112 victory in Game 3. Jordan reminded all who the GOAT is with 46 points,. That included a 3-pointer with 4:41 left that, along with a Ron Harper fast-break basket on the next possession, helped the 1996-97 team pull away after B.J. Armstrong had scored to cap a 7-0 run that pulled the 1992-93 team within 107-104 with 5:01 left.

Jordan had incorporated the 3-point shot into his game more frequently that season. He shot 37.4 percent on a career-high 3.6 attempts.

In the second quarterfinal matchup, the 1990-91 team prevailed 113-100 over the 1997-98 team in the opener. The younger Jordan’s 37 points led four in double figures, including 20 from Pippen, 14 from Armstrong and 12 from John Paxson.

But the fourth-seeded 1997-98 Bulls evened the series with a 102-100 victory in Game 2. Jordan scored 30, including free throws with 4 seconds remaining for a four-point lead. That followed a Rodman layup with 47 seconds to play to give the 1997-98 team the lead for good. The younger Pippen got whistled for a crucial offensive foul after Rodman’s hoop.

Game 3 featured the younger Pippen in the spotlight. During the regular season, Pippen posted three triple-doubles. And he flirted with one in the 1990-91 team’s 109-96 victory, finishing with 32 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

The 1990-91 team then closed out the series with a 107-88 victory in Game 4. A 23-6 run early in the fourth erased an 11-point deficit and pushed the lower seed to the semifinals. Jordan scored 31 points, Pippen added 24 and Craig Hodges shot 2-for-3 on 3-pointers as part of his 10 points.

These results set up semifinal matchups of the No. 1-seeded 1995-96 Bulls vs. the No. 5-seeded 1990-91 Bulls and the No. 3-seeded 1996-97 Bulls vs. the No. 2-seeded 1991-92 Bulls.

Check back next week as we Settle the Argument on the greatest Bulls team of all-time.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Part of the beauty and mystery of sports is the unsolvable, the endless GOAT debates and back-in-the-day stories and never-ending theories on why this team or that player is better than the previous or the next.

But what if you could use data to simulate the spectacular? Think prime Michael Jordan guarding back-to-the-basket Michael Jordan; or Horace Grant trying to keep Dennis Rodman off the offensive boards; or John Paxson coming off a screen for a big shot late versus Steve Kerr doing the same.

That’s right. We’re talking dynasty-era Chicago Bulls. And thanks to our partners at Strat-O-Matic, we not only have the ability to Settle the Argument of the greatest Bulls team of all-time, but we also have simulated box scores with real play-by-play to prove it.

Or at least prove it in one controlled realm.

Of course, there’s also the more subjective aspect of the eye test. And 27 years on, these eyes maintain that the 1995-96 Bulls are the greatest NBA team of all-time.

The memories endure.

The swagger with which they entered each game, knowing the opponent viewed it as the biggest regular-season game of the season. The quiet, burning fuel stemming from Jordan’s return from baseball the previous season that ended in rare playoff failure.

The poise and trust coach Phil Jackson would display as he chose not to call timeouts in moments of early-game duress, content to let players figure it out. Jordan sitting at the end of the L-shaped bench, mere inches from the first row of media sitting, the ice packs on his knees serving as the modern-day equivalent of Red Auerbach’s victory cigar.

But don’t take our word for it. Over the coming days, prepare for the simulated tournament to play out to Settle The Argument.

The format is simple: With six title teams from which to choose, the top-two seeds—the 1995-96 and 1991-92 Bulls—receive first-round byes. The quarterfinals will be comprised of seeds No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5 in two five-game series.

Those winners advance to semifinal matchups against the top-two seeds, with the 4-5 winner facing the top seed and the 3-6 winner facing the second seed. Those series will be best-of-seven, with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, if necessary.

Then, the finals will be a seven-game series between the two semifinal winners with the same home-and-away games format.

The remaining seeds for the Bulls are as follows: 1996-97 is the No. 3 seed; 1997-98 is the No. 4 seed; 1990-91 is the No. 5 seed; 1992-93 is the No. 6 seed.

Let the “games” begin. And let’s Settle the Argument.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

How low can the Chicago Bulls go?

They’ve lost three straight games, have scored 33 points in consecutive first halves of back-to-back losses to the rebuilding Orlando Magic and are dealing with Zach LaVine being open to a change of scenery on a daily basis inside their locker room.

“We got a good group of guys. Everybody is encouraging. We’ve done a good job of staying positive,” LaVine said. “Nobody is going to feel sorry for you. Everybody in this room supports each other, helps each other.”

LaVine’s departure feels more like a matter of when, not if. The question, of course, is: Does that lead to widespread change? Consistent losing only intensifies that question.

It also raises all manners of thorny topics like whether or not players are tuning out coach Billy Donovan.

“I don’t sense anything like that,’’ Donovan said. “If they weren’t engaged, why fight like they did to get back into the game? It speaks to them wanting to win. But we’ve gotta be able to sustain that intensity on both ends for 48 minutes.

“Sometimes when we come out, we’re testing, ‘What’s the game going to be like?’ Instead of coming out, ‘OK, scoreboard says we’re down 15, we gotta go. Score is 0-0, we still gotta go.’”

Indeed, the slow starts are bedeviling. They’re also crippling a season in which management set playoffs as its expectation.

“They need to put us down 18 when we come out so we come out with a sense of urgency when it’s 0-0,” DeMar DeRozan cracked. “That’s on us. It’s an effort thing.”

Added LaVine: “It’s not like we’re neglecting it. We have to figure out what we’re doing in the second half and try to put that at the start.”

Of course, the Bulls are digging big holes not only to start games but also to start this season. A 4-9 mark isn’t what anybody internally expected.

And if the downward spiral continues, management may need to revisit its stance on whether or not to plunge into a full rebuild. As of now, that stance hasn’t changed, according to sources.

Sources also said management has full autonomy on which path to take. Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf are known for hiring people and letting them do their jobs, giving them power and support to make decisions as they see fit.

Of course, management doesn’t have full say on its future plans unless it reaches an extension with DeRozan. And with no progress on his talks, he has the power to take a wait-and-see approach on the roster once the LaVine situation resolves.

“Fifteen years, I’ve never had a comment on what teams should or shouldn’t do. I come to work every single day with whatever it is that we got and try to make the best out of it. I don’t even look at it or go home thinking something needs to be done,” DeRozan said. “I put on a jersey. I don’t put on a suit.”

DeRozan spoke for the first time since LaVine’s openness to a change of scenery went public. He missed Wednesday’s game for personal reasons.

DeRozan said he’s not worried about the LaVine situation impacting the locker room.

“It won’t. You play in this league long enough, it’s something you gotta deal with. If it’s not personally, it’s with a teammate,” he said. “It’s just part of the game. It’s not preschool. We’re all grown men.”

And he pointed to LaVine scoring 25 points in the second half as a sign of LaVine’s commitment to winning.

“That’s the sign of a true professional,” DeRozan said. “Understanding what’s in front of him and what’s now. You can’t worry about whatever else is out there. He’s trying to lead us to a victory.”

After LaVine sank back-to-back 3-pointers to kick-start the second-half rally, he approached the bench showing strong emotion, greeted by excited teammates.

“Who likes losing? You show emotion in the game. I think that’s a good thing,” LaVine said. “We obviously really wanted to win this one. I did too.

“I come and do my job. I try to do the best I can to help us win. Everything else is white noise to me. That stuff usually takes care of itself. My job is to play basketball. It’s pretty easy to do that. How long has my name been in trade talks, four years? I’ve been doing the same thing. It’s not hard.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Through a 2-5 start, the offense has struggled.

DeMar DeRozan told reporters in Denver following Saturday’s loss to the Nuggets that the offense “is going to get there” and that he has worries about it eventually clicking. His and Zach LaVine’s uncharacteristic poor shooting starts have exacerbated the issue.

Here’s where the Bulls stand after seven games in major offensive categories. Making their struggles even more maddening, they lead the NBA in ball security. They have attacked the paint and offensive rebounded better than last season.

Offensive rating: 106.2 (26th)

Net rating: minus-8.8 (28th)

Turnovers/game: 12.1 (1st)

Assists/game: 21 (29th)

Pace: 97.4 (29th)

3-point attempts/game: 30.4 (26th)

3-point makes/game: 9.4 (28th)

Free-throw attempts/game: 20.1 (21st)

Free-throw makes/game: 15.9 (19th)

The Bulls begin a three-game homestand on Monday against Lauri Markkanen and the Utah Jazz.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

The Bulls will wear their Nike NBA City Edition uniforms for the first time. And they give a strong nod to the building that preceded the United Center, the famed—and razed—Chicago Stadium.

The “Madhouse on Madison” is where the Bulls’ first three-peat teams played, and Friday’s uniforms pay tribute in details ranging from the parallel “Chicago” on the jersey that replicates the signage outside Chicago Stadium to the two parallel stripes on the shorts representing “the four-corner window patterning” on the old barn.

Originally opened in 1929, the Chicago Stadium housed events ranging from championship boxing matches to Democratic and Republican National Conventions. The building closed when the United Center opened in August 1994 and was demolished in 1995.

The jersey also features the phrase “Madhouse on Madison,” given to the building for its architectural design that made the noise from the first and second balconies so loud, as well as the famed pipe organ.

The Bulls, who first began playing at the Chicago Stadium in their second season in 1967, will also sports these uniforms for In-Season Tournament games on Nov. 17 versus the Orlando Magic and Nov. 28 against the Boston Celtics.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

The Chicago Bulls’ decision to hold training camp in Nashville fell under a harsh spotlight Wednesday night after a disastrous season-opening loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

On the one hand, the improved communication and cohesion that served as goals and buzzwords during the remote camp, not to mention an offensive philosophy designed to avoid isolation and stagnation, got tested during a heated third-quarter exchange between Nikola Vučević and coach Billy Donovan.

On the other, the 20-point blowout loss that drew mild boos from the sellout crowd prompted a players’ discussion in the postgame locker room in which the dialogue and hard conversations flowed freely.

“That would’ve never happened last year. It would’ve been a quiet group,” Donovan said. “So the confrontation piece is a sign that it’s important to them. And they know we’ve got to be better.”

Typically, the coaches meet separately in their office while players are in the postgame locker room, talking amongst themselves. When Donovan left his staff debriefing and entered the locker room to see his players having those hard conversations that the Nashville team-bonding activities was supposed to promote, he asked his players if they needed more time.

They said yes.

“I think it was really good for us that we had those. I think it was needed. It was just regular discussions of what needs to be done. A lot of guys said a lot of good things, things that needed to be said. I think we can really use this to learn and change some things that we need to change,” Vučević said. “It wasn’t anything crazy, no fighting or none of that. It was really constructive. It was maybe one of the first times since I’ve been here that this was like this. And it was really needed.

“I started saying some things. I really liked that so many guys jumped in and said so many good things. Not one guy is 100 percent right. Everybody had something to say and sees things differently. And when you have these constructive conversations, they can only bring positive things. I think communication is very important.

“I’ve been on teams in the past where we’ve had those, and it worked almost every time where we were able to really fix some things and move on.”

Added Zach LaVine: “Guys want to win. You put up a game like this in Game One and people are going to have some conversations. Guys are frustrated and you should be. If you’re not frustrated, it says it all. It sucks to have it happen in Game One. It happened. We gotta go from there. Guys are going to speak their mind after a game. Coaches are as well. We all gotta get it out and make sure we’re on the same page. It’s not one individual that lost. It’s the whole team.”

Vučević’s blow-up came during the third quarter after he received a technical foul for throwing the ball against the basket stanchion in frustration following a team defensive breakdown. But it also followed a long stretch in which he barely touched the ball; he went 12 minutes between field-goal attempts bridging the second and third quarters.

“In certain moments, I felt we were a little stagnant and running similar things and I think we could’ve involved myself in certain situations that could’ve helped the team,” Vučević said. “I’ll look at the film again and see. Maybe some of the things I saw were wrong and I overreacted. I’ll see.

“It wasn’t so much just my touches. Just stuff we were running could’ve been better for us in the moment. Some of it was touches, but not necessarily for me to score. Offensively we got a little stagnant and didn’t play with energy and move the ball enough.

“Just unhappy in some of the stuff we’re doing. Obviously, I expressed it a little bit more aggressive than I should’ve in the moment. Those happen in the heat of the moment. You’re trying to win and do what you can to help the team. I didn’t like what was going on. We talked it out. And it’s over with.”

Maybe not. Donovan actually hopes for more hard conversations in the future. To him, they represent a team that cares.

“I’ve said this before: I think confrontation is good. I think it’s healthy. I got all the respect in the world for Vooch. He felt a certain way. And I kind of said what I felt. He’s probably not wrong for feeling the way he did. But how do you channel that in a way that galvanizes the group and lifts them up?” Donovan said. “In the moment, I could’ve handled it better with him and maybe he could’ve handled it better with me. It wasn’t disrespectful or anything. He was just frustrated with the way we were playing. I didn’t blame him. I fell in line with him. But there’s gotta be a way together we can solve those issues and problems.

“I think the confrontation piece is really, really good. I think it’s really healthy. And I think it needs to happen as much as possible.”

Preferably next time during a close game, not a blowout loss to start the season.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Entering his 15^th season, DeMar DeRozan doesn’t take Opening Night lightly.

“It’s amazing, man, just to think about the longevity, to be able to play this game so long. To still be going, to still love the game, to still have motivation, the passion, everything about it,” he said following Tuesday’s practice at the Advocate Center. “I don’t look at it like I feel old. It’s more so it’s a blessing to still be playing.”

DeRozan, 34, passed the 1,000-game mark last season. His first opener came way back in 2009. Having just turned 20, his Toronto Raptors faced off against LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I was terrified as (expletive). I’m not going to lie to you,” DeRozan said. “I’ll never forget: I was walking out there and it felt really like a dream. And I remember walking on that court like I couldn’t believe I was playing against Shaq. Me being from LA, I watched Shaq my whole life. So to able to step on the same floor as Shaq made it feel so surreal, made it feel like a dream come true. And I think I even got a block that game. I blocked his shot. I just remember being terrified that I couldn’t believe I was in that moment.”

Indeed, DeRozan registered a block on an O’Neal layup attempt in the Raptors’ 10-point victory. With Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon providing the offensive punch, DeRozan took just six shots and scored eight points while finishing a team-high plus-11.

Suffice to say, he’ll play a slightly larger offensive role when the Chicago Bulls face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night at the United Center. But the feelings and anticipation remain the same.

“It’s always exciting because that’s the first night of the journey for what’s to come—the good, the bad, the ups and downs, the heartbreak, the wins, the losses, the learning experience,” DeRozan said.

Coby White is set to play in his fifth NBA opener. Asked what he was doing during DeRozan’s NBA debut, the affable White took the bait.

“I was 9 years old,” he said. “So I don’t really remember.”

But White agrees there’s something special about Opening Night.

“There’s a lot of positive energy, positive talk going around,” he said. “Vibes are great. We’re excited.”

For Billy Donovan, the matchup offers an opportunity to face the franchise that lured him from the college coaching ranks. Donovan spent five seasons coaching the Thunder, who now employ Mark Daigneault, whom Donovan hired first at Florida in the college ranks and then again in Oklahoma City.

“I enjoyed my time there and the people I interacted with,” Donovan said.

Opening Night only counts as one game. But DeRozan wants to use it to start building what he hopes the Bulls’ identity will be.

“We have to be resilient. We can’t show bad body language when a quarter isn’t going our way, a play isn’t going our way,” DeRozan said. “We have to be one of those teams that is resilient at home or on the road.”

The journey begins Wednesday.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

The Chicago Bulls submitted their official roster for the 2023-24 season by Monday evening’s deadline.

The 17-man roster featured no surprises and included the inactive Lonzo Ball, whom the Bulls have ruled out for his second straight season following his third left knee surgery. It also included the maximum three two-way players in Adama Sanogo, Justin Lewis and Onuralp Bitim.

Sanogo and Bitim represent three of the Bulls’ international players, joining Nikola Vucevic. The NBA announced a record 125 international players from 40 countries across six continents for Opening Night.

After waiving Carlik Jones and his non-guaranteed contract last week, the Bulls carry 14 players on the NBA roster, including the inactive Ball. This leaves a roster spot open. The Bulls still possess half of their midlevel salary cap exception worth roughly $6 million, as well as a disabled player exception for Ball that’s worth $10.2 million.

However, they are hard capped at $172.3 million and, with the franchise’s history in avoiding the luxury tax, sit closely below that $165.3 million threshold.

Here’s the Bulls’ roster:

Guards

Jevon Carter

Alex Caruso

Ayo Dosunmu

Zach LaVine

Dalen Terry

Coby White

Lonzo Ball

Forwards

Torrey Craig

DeMar DeRozan

Julian Phillips

Terry Taylor

Patrick Williams

Centers

Andre Drummond

Nikola Vucevic

Two-way players

Onuralp Bitim

Justin Lewis

Adama Sanogo

The Bulls open their regular season on Wednesday night against Oklahoma City at the United Center, which can be seen on NBC Sports Chicago.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

For the last four seasons, Zach LaVine has averaged at least 7.1 3-pointers per game, notching a career-high 8.2 attempts per game in 2021-22.

Last season, coach Billy Donovan casually dropped that he wanted LaVine to average 10 attempts per game. Given that only four players in the league surpassed this number, the ask reflected the dearth of offensive options for the league’s lowest-volume 3-point shooting team.

In adding Javon Carter and Torrey Craig, the Bulls and Donovan possess more long-range options this season. But while Donovan isn’t placing a number on LaVine’s 3-point attempts, he does still have a desire for the gifted, three-level scorer.

“We have to put Zach in more catch-and-shoot opportunities,” Donovan said recently.

This is music to LaVine’s ears.

While LaVine has carved out a reputation as a difficult shotmaker, bail-out mode isn’t his preferred method of scoring. Particularly as he enters Year 10.

“With really good teams, especially in late games, it’s how can you get easy shots? You’re going to get your touches down the stretch. And as effective as I’ve been over the past four or five years, I’ve taken a lot of difficult shots. I just make them. And that’s part of who I am. But you don’t want to live that way the whole game,” LaVine said Monday. “So if I can get catch-and-shoots throughout the game or easy shots—backcut layups, whatever it might be—I’ll be more happy than anybody. And I still can play my game and get to the rim when I need to. I’ll take as many catch-and-shoots as I can.”

Indeed, LaVine is striving to strike a balance between perimeter and at-the-rim scoring. Though he only appeared in three of the five preseason games, he looked springy and explosive in those appearances. He shot 13-for-17 at the rim and an uncharacteristic 31 percent from 3-point range in the games that didn’t count.

LaVine is a career 38.4 percent 3-point shooter in the games that do count, all 555 of them. After sinking 204 last season, LaVine needs 115 3-pointers to surpass Kirk Hinrich as the franchise leader.

But winning, not personal achievements, is dominating LaVine’s mindset as the Bulls prepare for Wednesday’s regular-season opener versus the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“When you play on a bunch of bad teams, you learn obviously what not to do. We’ve also seen where I’ve been in my career where I’ve won a lot of games. We really good two years ago,” LaVine said. “We’ve been a very competitive team the last (couple) years. It just takes a complete winning mindset.”

And a commitment to getting LaVine in more catch-and-shoot situations. It’s all part of the Bulls’ commitment to try to diversify their offense, attack the paint more and spray out to shooters rather than rely so much on isolation or bail-out mode scoring.

“Any time you put something new in, it’s going to take time to figure it out. And I think we did a good job through the preseason good and bad of trying to work on it,” LaVine said. “We’re getting up more shots. We’re trying to play faster and still allow guys like me and DeMar to get to our spots and play to our advantages within the team concept.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

The Chicago Bulls and Patrick Williams didn’t reach agreement on an extension of his rookie contract by Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline.

This means Williams will travel the path that his teammate and close friend Coby White did last season and become a restricted free agent next offseason. Much like White, who ultimately signed a three-year deal worth between $36-40 million depending on incentives, Williams vowed to handle the lack of an extension professionally.

“Easy,” Williams said following practice at the Advocate Center. “Anything personal in my life that I’ve been going through, any time I step between those four lines, it’s gone.”

That said, Williams made it clear he believes he is worth a lucrative extension at some point.

“I’ve never been good at the business of basketball. It really hasn’t been much of an importance of mine up until this point. But obviously this is how I feed my family. Obviously, I want a big contract. I think that’s what I work for and I think it’s what I’m worth. But whenever it comes, it comes,” Williams said. “I’m not 100 percent going to say this summer or next summer or whenever it may be. I go out and hoop and try to win games. My main focus now is helping this team get over the next hump and myself over that hump.”

Multiple players from Williams’ 2020 draft class reached terms on an extension on Monday or in previous days. This included Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, whose career statistics are similar to Williams but is considered to have a higher defensive ceiling. McDaniels agreed to a five-year, $136 million deal.

The Bulls historically have taken a hard-line stance on rookie extension deals, knowing they still have the ability to match any offers in restricted free agency. That’s not to say they haven’t hit on rookie extensions; Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson come to mind. But like White or Jimmy Butler in the past, the Bulls held firm on their ceiling in the Williams’ negotiations and didn’t finalize a deal.

Coach Billy Donovan said he isn’t worried about Williams’ mental makeup after experiencing the business of basketball.

“I would say in my daily interaction with Patrick as a person and his character, I’d imagine he’d come in here really, really professional each day, work really hard and try to do everything he can to help our team,” Donovan said. “I’m pretty confident about that.

“I think he’ll put the team first. He’s always done that. And I would anticipate that he’ll continue to do that.”

In fact, Williams, who represents the first player transaction of the current managerial regime’s tenure as the fourth overall pick in 2020, said that’s his exact focus.

“The hardest thing to do in any profession is to go from good to great. That’s the goal of mine and the goal of this team,” he said. “I think it would be pressure if I wasn’t capable. I know what I’m capable of. This team knows what I’m capable of. I’ve shown it. Everybody who needs to see it knows it. . . . It’s about this team taking the next step and me being a big part of that.”

Despite being the fourth or fifth offensive option, Williams averaged in double figures for the first time in his career last season. He also shot 41.5 percent from 3-point range, matching his career percentage in three seasons.

Williams spent his offseason not only attending “Camp DeMar” again, the notorious workouts of DeMar DeRozan, but also watching film of the league’s elite wings as he attempts to take a jump in playmaking and pick-and-roll situations.

Williams said he believes his ability to make skip passes off the dribble with either hand and also read and attack defensive closeouts more efficiently have him excited about his potential this season.

“The game has slowed down for me a lot,” he said.

Even if the business of basketball will speed up next summer in restricted free agency.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

The Chicago Bulls lost to the Toronto Raptors 106-102 Tuesday night at the United Center in their next-to-last preseason game.

Here are 10 observations from the defeat:

—You know it’s getting closer to the regular season when one of the “Big Three” makes a fourth-quarter appearance. DeMar DeRozan logged fourth-quarter minutes for the first time this preseason. Pregame, coach Billy Donovan said Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic likely would too, but they both sat after the third quarter. Each of the three played at least 28 minutes. Donovan said the plan is for those players to play regular rotational minutes in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

—The Bulls aren’t saying it publicly or officially yet, but it’s fairly obvious that Coby White is trending towards starting the Oct. 25 regular-season opener versus Oklahoma City. White got off to another strong start at both ends, scoring on two nifty stop-and-go drives and hitting LaVine on a go-ahead pass for a fast-break dunk. He had six of his 11 points and three of his four assists in his opening rotational turn. White, who has exhibited solid ball security throughout preseason, did finish with five turnovers in a tough matchup with Dennis Schroder. The two exchanged words and shoves and received double technical fouls with a third-quarter minor kerfuffle. White also briefly left the bench in the second half and wore a wrap on his left thigh but returned.

—Patrick Williams, on the other hand, struggled mightily in the first half. He got his shot blocked on the opening possession and got pulled immediately after a turnover at the 9 minute, 15 second mark of the first. Donovan likes staggering Williams to play with the second unit as well, so Torrey Craig replacing him early isn’t atypical. But it came far more quickly this time.

—Donovan burned a timeout just 94 seconds into the second quarter after two defensive breakdowns and offensive stagnation. The group of LaVine, Williams, Ayo Dosunmu, Jevon Carter and Andre Drummond hasn’t logged much time together this preseason and responded better after the stoppage. Dosunmu drove and kicked to Williams for a 3-pointer. LaVine kept attacking the rim before burying his first 3-pointer. But Williams’ struggles quickly resurfaced. He committed an unforced turnover and fouled a 3-point shooter. Craig played 14 minutes to Williams’ 10 in the first half.

—LaVine scored 16 points in 20 first-half minutes before finishing with 25 points in 30 minutes. He has talked about the benefit of using his offseason to work on his game rather than rehabilitate from knee surgery, as he did in 2022. It’s showing. LaVine is scoring at all three levels and looking particularly spry attacking the rim. He’s also forming some nice halfcourt chemistry with White.

—For all the talk about increasing 3-point volume, the Bulls, after attempting 35 in the preseason opener, are starting to more resemble last season. That’s when they represented the only NBA team not to attempt at least 30 3-pointers per game. They finished with 26 versus the Raptors. That’s the third straight game in regulation they’ve failed to attempt at least 30. They ultimately attempted 38 in the double overtime victory over the Nuggets but sat at 29 following regulation.

—Craig and Carter flipped the script and supplied energy with a third-quarter run predicated on defense. Carter had two steals, one of which he turned into points at the other end with a jumper. And Craig spectacularly blocked a Gary Trent Jr. dunk attempt in transition. Craig logged 27 minutes to Williams’ 21. Williams closed but committed a critical turnover with 37.8 seconds left, stepping on the sideline as he caught a pass. It marked the Bulls’ 23rd turnover.

—Drummond and Vucevic both reached double figures in rebounds, with Vucevic posting a 20-10 double-double. Drummond had eight points and 13 rebounds and missed a double-double because he missed a breakaway dunk in the fourth quarter. Yes, a breakaway dunk.

—Alex Caruso sat out his second straight game, the first since Donovan revealed he tweaked his ankle in practice when he stepped on a teammate’s foot. Donovan said the injury isn’t serious and that the goal is for him to play on Thursday. “Nothing major,” Donovan said, adding that the team sat him as a precaution.

—First-year Raptors coach Darko Rajaković spent four seasons as an assistant coach for Donovan in Oklahoma City. He also owns a condominium in the same building as Vucevic in Belgrade, Serbia. But he spoke at length about Donovan’s influence in his pregame remarks. “I learned so much from Billy. He’s a very close friend of mine, my mentor. He was amazing in the process when I was interviewing for the job. We talked several times. And he was able to give me his insights and help and support. Those four years are invaluable and made me a better man and a better coach.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

With two home preseason games remaining, the Chicago Bulls added two bodies.

The team announced late Monday that it signed Derrick Favors and Kahlil Whitney to training camp contracts.

Favors is an intriguing addition. The 6-foot-10-inch big man is a former No. 3 overall pick who was out of the league last season except for a 10-day contract with Atlanta, where he didn’t play. But he spent 10 of his 12 NBA seasons with the Utah Jazz, where he averaged 11.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. He last played for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2021-22, averaging 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 39 games.

Coach Billy Donovan said on Tuesday that Favors is headed to the Windy City Bulls of the G League.

“He’s a veteran guy. I’ve always had respect for him, just being in the West with him for a period of time when he was at Utah,” Donovan said. “I think giving our younger players a veteran, well-respected presence with Windy City will be good. He still loves to play.”

Whitney, a 6-foot-6-inch forward, went undrafted out of Kentucky after growing up in Chicago. He spent last season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League.

The Bulls own two non-guaranteed contracts in guard Carlik Jones and forward Terry Taylor. Though Favors is likely a longshot to make his way to the NBA roster, his size could be beneficial for a guard-heavy roster. Taylor, though younger at 24, is an undersized forward.

The Bulls close their preseason schedule with home games against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nicola Vucevic will lead the team once again in the 2023-24 NBA season. After winning a play-in game last year, the Bulls will have their eyes on a playoff berth.

Adam Amin, Stacey King and the rest of the NBC Sports Chicago crew will be here all season long to follow Billy Donovan’s squad.

Here is how you can tune into Bulls games on NBC Sports Chicago:

How to watch Bulls games on NBC Sports Chicago

All local Bulls games will air on NBC Sports Chicago during the 2023-24 NBA season.

You can check out the Bulls’ full schedule here.

How to stream Bulls games on NBC Sports Chicago

Fans can stream local Bulls games on NBC.com and the NBC Sports App.

NBC Sports Chicago Bulls broadcast team

Adam Amin will call play-by-play alongside analyst Stacey King for NBC Sports Chicago.

NBC Sports Chicago Bulls Pregame and Postgame Live

Bulls Pregame Live will tip-off before every Bulls game broadcasted on NBC Sports Chicago, and Bulls Postgame Live will start after the final buzzer sounds.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

On a Sunday night where coach Billy Donovan followed through on what he hinted at on Saturday and rested Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and Alex Caruso, it seemed fitting that Torrey Craig started alongside Patrick Williams in the Bulls’ 119-102 preseason loss to the Nuggets in Denver.

Following Saturday’s practice at the Advocate Center, Craig sounded a lot like DeRozan in assessing Williams.

“Part of my job here is to try to get as much out of him as I can. In practice, I’m going to compete with him. I’m going to talk trash to him. I’m going to be physical with him, bump him around a little bit and try to get more of a competitive edge out of him,” Craig said. “He’s kind of from the same area [in the Carolinas], like 40 minutes from where I’m from. I always knew who he was and I’m trying to get the best out of him every day.”

Sunday night wasn’t Williams’ best. But it certainly was his most aggressive offensive performance of the preseason. Williams scored 10 first-quarter points and finished with 20 on 8-for-14 shooting.

Coby White also scored 20 points for the Bulls, who close their preseason schedule with home games on Tuesday and Thursday. Donovan said on Saturday he’ll use those two games to ramp up starters’ minutes in advance of the Oct. 25 regular-season opener versus Oklahoma City, particularly now that three starters and a top reserve rested on Sunday.

Earlier in training camp, DeRozan said he wants Williams to draw his first career technical foul this season and that he’d even pay the fine because it would mean Williams is continuing to grow in terms of assertiveness.

Helping Williams reach his tantalizing potential long has been a project of DeRozan, who has included Williams in his offseason workouts near Los Angeles for two straight offseasons.

Now, Craig is on board as well.

Everyone on the Bulls knows an aggressive Williams is the best Williams, the one who can help the team reach its full potential. Even Williams.

“Consistency is going to be a big factor of it,’’ Williams said earlier in training camp. “Being more consistent rebounding, pushing the ball, being aggressive in transition, creating off the dribble, catch-and-shoots. Just a more forceful me. I’ve shown it all. Now I think it’s time to put the puzzle together.

The question is: Did Williams’ aggressive showing make that puzzle harder to figure out for Donovan?

At this point, the regular-season starting lineup is trending towards being White, LaVine, DeRozan, Williams and Vucevic. With yet another strong showing against the Nuggets, White is doing nothing to loosen the stranglehold he seemingly has on the starting point-guard spot.

But Donovan himself as far back as media day addressed the decision he faces regarding Williams, who played more aggressively down the stretch last season when Donovan replaced him as a starter with Caruso.

Keeping White and Williams together is important, not only for the chemistry they’ve formed but for the future of the franchise and player development. So it’s most likely Williams remains a starter and Donovan employs what he did in the first preseason game—taking Williams off early to stagger him and play him some minutes against opposing reserve units.

Of course, Williams can make all this analysis go by the wayside by remaining as aggressive as he was on Sunday. The next step is rebounding. With just two on Sunday, Williams now has grabbed seven rebounds in 66 preseason minutes.

The coaching staff has expressed the need for Williams to be more aggressive on the glass. While he typically is tasked with guarding the opponent’s best player and owns plenty of defensive responsibility, more rebounding would be another sign of an aggressive Williams.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Torrey Craig returned to where his NBA opportunity began late Saturday, in advance of the Chicago Bulls’ preseason matchup with the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

Undrafted out of University of South Carolina Upstate, Craig spent three seasons playing in Australia before the Nuggets—where a certain assistant general manager named Artūras Karnišovas worked—signed him for the 2017-18 season.

“Oh man, they changed my life,” Craig said following Saturday’s practice at the Advocate Center. “They signed me on a two-way and (coach) Michael Malone was starting me. The two-way put my foot in the door and then Coach Malone gave me an opportunity to play. Once he saw how I could impact games and help winning, he kept me in the rotation. That kind of jump-started my career.”

It’s why, even though the Nuggets eliminated his Phoenix Suns in the second round of last season’s playoffs, Craig felt happy for former teammates like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray when Denver captured its first NBA title last season.

And while the Bulls obviously aren’t considered a championship contending team coming off a non-playoff season, Craig insists there’s serious potential. He said he even likes how nobody is talking about the Bulls’ chances because the underdog mentality can be beneficial.

“We get out of this season what we put in. If we’re not playing with energy or effort or guys aren’t sacrificing, then we’re going to struggle. If everybody buys in, I think we can beat anybody in this league,” Craig said. “We have good players, a lot of talent. We have defenders. We have scorers. We have shooters. We have a great coaching staff. So if we put all that together, we can win every single night in this league. It just comes down to how consistent we’re going to be.”

Craig’s defensive energy, communication and competitive edge are as consistent as a metronome. It’s how he has carved out a reputation as a plug-and-play contributor on playoff teams.

It’s also why, in part, he chose the Bulls in free agency.

“I was looking at teams that could use what I do the most, where I could impact games the most. This was one of the places that fit,” Craig said. “Last year, they lost a lot of close games. And a lot of games they lost, they were just missing a little bit of physical toughness, mental toughness, a little bit of leadership. I come here and try to provide that.”

The relationship with Karnišovas didn’t hurt.

“We won a lot of games together,” Craig said. “I enjoyed playing for that organization and him there. So here, it should be no different.”

Craig’s communication has stood out to his teammates and coaches.

“He’s a true professional, been around the league, played on winning teams. He just knows where to be, very unselfish,” Zach LaVine said. “Obviously, we know how good he is on defense. Me and DeMar (DeRozan) have had to deal with him. We’re glad to have him.”

Added coach Billy Donovan: “He’s been unbelievable. I think those are rare qualities where you can plug him in with anybody. Because everything he does is always about the sacrifice things to make the group better. And every team needs that.”

Donovan added that Craig routinely calls out opposing teams’ actions as they begin. In this sense, he is similar to Alex Caruso, with whom Craig already is forming a defensive identity.

“I was even talking to AC about it during (last) game: As long as we play hard and aggressive, attacking the ball and flying around covering for one another, creating turnovers, that makes basketball a lot of fun and contributes to winning.”

On one possession during Thursday’s double overtime victory over the same Nuggets, Craig and Caruso paired on a double-team along the sideline that led to a steal and 3-pointer from Coby White in transition. These are the type of plays that can energize a team and deflate an opponent.

“It was just random. I saw the ball go that way and I was pursuing the ball. I saw AC right there and I just screamed at him, ‘Trap, trap, trap,’” Craig said. “A lot of times playing like that is mostly instinct and just trusting your ability to be active and get deflections and get steals and get out in transition.

“Once you get a steal and out in transition, it puts pressure on their defense not to foul and protect the rim or free-throw line. It disrupts them offensively because you’re so physical with him and so active. Especially over the course of a game, it will wear on teams. That’s when you’re really effective.”

Just like Craig plans to be this season.

“I just be myself. I don’t try to do too much. Just stay within my means and do what I’m good at and bring what I know I can bring,” he said. “Fortunately, that’s good for every team. Every team can use the type of things that I’m good at. So it’s not hard for me to fit in at all.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

But Maggette’s connections with the Bulls began well before that.

Not only did Maggette detail attending his first Bulls game as a kid on the broadcast, but he also shared details from his friendship with All-Star DeMar DeRozan. The relationship began while Maggette starred for the Los Angeles Clippers from 2000-08 and DeRozan grew up in nearby Compton, Calif., before attending USC for the 2008-09 season.

“It was amazing,” DeRozan said when asked what it was like to see Maggette sitting courtside alongside Jason Benetti on the call. “Corey was a vet mentor to me. A lot of people don’t know that. I spent a lot of time with him, man. I was 18, 19, 20 years old in the gym with him, working out every summer, him giving me a lot of drills and more so just pushing me. Being with a veteran guy that early in my career showed me what it was like to be a pro.

“He’s always been such a positive figure for me. He got me to understand a lot, not just with basketball but about life. He got me into cars at an early age.”

Indeed, Maggette on the broadcast shared a tale in which he sold DeRozan a sports car at a nice discount.

“I remember driving two hours to go get it and two hours back home,” DeRozan said, laughing.

DeRozan attempted eight free throws in just 25 minutes during Thursday’s double overtime preseason victory over the Nuggets, victimizing two defenders with his patented pump fake. DeRozan said Maggette, who also was a stellar foul drawer in his prime, helped refine some of his moves.

“He taught me a lot that stuck with me—how to get fouled, how to take advantage of the penalty, using your body,” DeRozan said. “I learned a lot from Corey, for sure. We used to do these shooting drills in the midrange, competing always.”

Maggette averaged over eight free-throw attempts in five straight seasons with the Clippers, including 10 per game in 2004-05.

“We was in the gym every day together,” DeRozan said.

And for those thinking about King, don’t worry: The incomparable analyst posted to his social media account that he’s scheduled back for the Oct. 25 regular-season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder alongside his partner, Adam Amin.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Denver Nuggets 133-124 in double overtime at the United Center on Thursday night in the home preseason opener.

Here are 10 observations from the victory:

—Billy Donovan started Coby White, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic for the second straight game. Donovan is still working through his rotation. For instance, he took LaVine off early along with Williams this time to stagger LaVine for some minutes against second-unit players. He used Jevon Carter with White some in the first quarter. And he started Ayo Dosunmu for White in the second half. But White and Williams starting the first two games is notable.

—Donovan has used the phrase “paint attacks” so often that he could get an endorsement deal with Glidden or Behr. The Bulls obliged early and often, with 14 of the first 16 points coming in the restricted area. This ultimately led to open 3-pointers off kickouts. And through two games, the Bulls are showing positive signs of improving this area.

—LaVine moved into attack mode early. Eight of his first 10 points came inside the restricted area. This included a putback of his own missed breakaway layup and a dunk off a 2-on-0 fast break with DeRozan. On that play, DeRozan and LaVine traded passes as they streaked downcourt before LaVine decided to dunk.

—This unselfishness extended to perimeter halfcourt passing as well. Torrey Craig passed a good look on a corner 3-pointer to swing it to Carter for an even better 3-point look. Carter buried the shot. This is the type of ball movement Donovan has preached all training camp.

—Dosunmu took advantage of his second-half start, packing plenty into his first rotational turn of 7 minutes, 29 seconds. That included three offensive rebounds, good defensive energy and a nifty assist for a LaVine layup.

—Nikola Jokic remains good at the basketball thing. The two-time most valuable player posted 17 points, six rebounds and four assists into his 18 first-half minutes, outplaying good friend Nikola Vucevic, who got the better of him the last time they met in Denver during last season. Vucevic started slowly but closed the first half with two strong moves over Jokic.

—Unlike the Nuggets, who didn’t play Jokic, Jamal Murray and other starters in the second half, the Bulls played their starters for the first 6 or 7 minutes of the second half. DeRozan and LaVine finished with 19 and 17 points, respectively. And DeRozan’s game featured something familiar with eight trips to the free-throw line—he made all eight—and something different with four 3-point attempts.

—For the second straight game, the Bulls attempted at least 30 3-pointers, which is a low bar to clear but one they set as the only team in the NBA not to attempt at least that many per game last season. Alex Caruso shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Caruso said during the Bulls’ week in Nashville that the coaches have asked him to be more “selfish” this season, as in not passing up open shots.

—That’s five rebounds in 41 minutes for Patrick Williams through two games. Management and the coaching staff have placed the onus on Williams to be more aggressive on the glass. Thus far, it hasn’t translated. Williams had a forgettable night overall, finishing with two points and just four shots in 14 minutes.

—The Bulls offered a mixed bag defensively. They turned defense into offense, scoring 30 points off 28 turnovers. They also defended without fouling, not sending the Nuggets to the free-throw line until the second half. And they controlled the glass; the Nuggets didn’t have any second-chance points. But they allowed 50 percent shooting to, obviously, the defending NBA champions. And Donovan called two timeouts simply to clean up defensive mistakes.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Nikola Vučević looked forward to his scheduled Wednesday night dinner with Nikola Jokić, the first in-person connection between the close friends since the Chicago Bulls defeated the Denver Nuggets in March.

Of course, Jokić’s Nuggets won an NBA championship since then, so that detail may switch up their natural order of things.

“It is my turn (to buy dinner),” Vučević said. “When I’m at home, I do it. When I’m in Denver, he does. Although he did win a championship, so . . . “

Vučević finished with 25 points, 15 rebounds and three assists on that March night in one of the Bulls’ best all-around games of the season.

Thursday night’s home preseason opener at the United Center isn’t the time for Jokić’s revenge or Vučević to try to send another message. The preseason is for limited minutes, working out new wrinkles and getting into game shape.

But the matchup remains one of pride for Vučević.

“It’s very special for us because we come from the same region,” the Montenegrin-raised Vučević said, referencing Jokić’s Serbian heritage. “We grew up watching a lot of the same players, idolizing a lot of the same people, wanted to be like them. And we have a chance to do it at the highest level. The NBA is your dream when you’re little there, but you don’t know how realistic. Especially back then when you don’t have access to the Internet and you could only watch once a week or twice a week on TV.”

In fact, Vučević said over 100 children from a local Serbian church group are scheduled to attend Thursday’s game.

“Hopefully, it also motivates kids back home to do it,” Vučević said. “For us on a personal level, we’re really close so it’s fun to compete. And we’re both really good players so that makes it fun as well.”

Vučević said it’s easy to forget about the friendship once the ball is tipped.

“Once we get on the court, we compete. We really enjoy competing against each other. We don’t take it easy on each other. We want to play the best for our team, try to win the game,” he said. “Once the game is over, we can chat again.”

Coach Billy Donovan said he planned to meet with his staff later Wednesday to decide how much the Bulls’ starters will play. With five preseason games, Thursday night might not be the time to extend them into the second half yet.

However long Vučević plays, he’s focused on making an impact in some of the Bulls’ new offensive sets, which feature him initiating offense as a passer in the mid-post.

“It’s still early and we’re still trying to figure out the reads,” Vučević said.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Coby White’s strong preseason debut of 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals in a team-high 23 minutes moved beyond the box score.

The game continued to display the growth and confidence White has as a leader.

This process began last year, when White became a more boisterous personality inside the locker room in front of reporters and, behind the scenes, a more vocal presence.

“Being a young guy, you fall into this thing of, ‘I’m young.’ Especially on a team full of guys are older who have won, been in the playoffs a bunch of times. AC [Alex Caruso] has been a champion. You get that mindset of, ‘They have more experience than me. They know more than me. My opinion doesn’t matter,’” White said following Tuesday’s practice at the Advocate Center. “I didn’t know how much guys respected my opinion—and my connection with every guy on the team—until last year. I’m continuing to grow into it. And it feels natural for me at this point.”

It’s showing.

“I’m really happy with him,” coach Billy Donovan said. “He always looks at himself internally with how he can get better. There’s a defiance to him. And I say that in the most respectful way. He’s not defiant to coaching. He’s not defiant to his teammates. He’s defiant to figuring something out.

“He’s never going to quit. He’s going to look at ways to improve. I think every aspect of his game, he’s gotten better. I think he’s gotten a lot more cerebral and has a better understanding than when he was a rookie, which is normal. And I think he has found his voice. He has no problem saying something when guys aren’t doing something the right way.

“My first year here, he was probably trying to figure things out and didn’t have a lot to say. Winning is important to him. Leading is important to him. If he continues to flourish in those areas, it will serve him and our team well.”

Beyond his natural maturation that happens when you enter the NBA as a teenager and now have four seasons of myriad experiences behind him, White credited assistant coach Chris Fleming and Zach LaVine for helping him find his voice.

“He’s been with me personally since I got drafted,” White said of Fleming. “He always believed in me no matter what. But he also didn’t just tell me what I wanted to hear. He told me what I needed to hear. And he always pushed me to be more vocal.

“At the beginning, when he was saying be more vocal, I was thinking more (on the court terminology). But as I got older, it’s more about being a leader and commanding the team, talking to guys.”

White and LaVine represent the only two players the current managerial regime inherited from the previous regime. Both have signed new deals since the managerial change. So their bond is real.

“Zach has seen me grow up in the NBA. He’s been here since I got drafted. Me and him, our relationship goes beyond basketball. I’m grateful for that relationship,” White said. “He has always believed in me and pushed me and given me confidence.

“He sensed, since we’ve been here the longest, when I’m down or when I’m up. When things were tough for me, he would always come to me and say little stuff like, ‘Keep your head, bro. You’re good. Remember how talented you are and what got you here.’ He’s always been like a big brother to me and someone, honestly, that I look up to. Not only on the basketball court but how he lives his life—how he takes care of his son. He’s someone I can go to in a time of need.”

LaVine noted how White often is already at the Advocate Center on the nights LaVine returns for extra work.

“Hard work doesn’t fail. So you’re gonna see the progress,” LaVine said. “I think he’s just really confident right now. He’s playing well. He’s moving and acting like this is what I want to do. He’s confident in that role. And we’re supporting him.”

That role, at least in the preseason opener, is starting point guard. It’s a position White held before, during his second season in the NBA. That season featured growing pains, but White stayed the course.

And while the starting point guard competition is nowhere near over, White knows what claiming it would mean.

“I was talking to my brother the other day and it’s like, there aren’t many times you get multiple opportunities to become a starter in this league,” White said. “I started my second year and haven’t started since. For me, it’s just trying to take advantage of it and don’t take it for granted. It’s a blessing.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Don’t read too much into whomever coach Billy Donovan starts on Sunday in Milwaukee when the Bulls face the Bucks in both teams’ preseason opener.

Not only has Donovan said he plans to tinker with his rotation throughout training camp, but he also has made clear whomever starts in the Oct. 25 regular-season opener against Oklahoma City won’t be set in stone.

But at least in some live scrimmages during the first week of training camp in Nashville, Tenn., Donovan kept the pairing of Coby White and Patrick Williams together but moved it from last season’s reserve role to start it alongside Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.

The lineup makes sense. It played well in a small sample size last season and allows the Bulls to feature its veteran core alongside the young talent it needs to develop.

White has made clear he’s on board for anything.

“Like I said since I’ve been here, I’m just here to play basketball and do what I can to help my team win—whatever role that is,” White said. “I’ve been in so many different roles since I’ve been here. I’ve made everything work.”

But it’s clear White has worked hard again over the course of another offseason on his ballhandling and decision-making.

“When I got to the league, and before that, I was known as a scorer. That’s who I was. I was the leading scorer in North Carolina basketball history in high school,” White said. “So for me, to see how I’ve altered my game to be more of a point guard, more of a lead guard, more of a vocal guy, it’s been great for me.

“I want to continue to fine tune those things and get better—setting my teammates up, getting into the paint, kicking out, breaking down the defense and being that leader.”

The Bulls prioritized re-signing White, verbally agreeing to his new contract on the opening night of free agency. Management and Donovan point to White as a player development success story.

Donovan also has been wrestling with whether or not to use a nine- or 10-man rotation during the regular season. He has favored the former, allowing him to “stagger” a starter—usually DeRozan—and bring him back to play with the second unit.

But the second unit of Ayo Dosunmu, Jevon Carter, Alex Caruso, Torrey Craig and Andre Drummond has wreaked havoc defensively at times.

“If we have me and Ayo and Drum on that second unit and we add those two pieces (Carter and Craig), it’s going to be hard to get a good shot off against that second unit if we’re locked in,” Caruso said. “Once we do, we have multiple ballhandlers and can break out and run a little bit.

“I’m excited. (Carter and Craig) fit really well for the mentality that me and Ayo and Drum have played with the last couple years.”

Time will tell where Donovan falls on this decision. Again, this will be a work in progress throughout training camp and may even be tweaked at times during the regular season.

“DeMar has been really good with that second unit. But if you start staggering starters into the second unit, you’re really putting yourself up for playing nine,” Donovan said. “It’s hard to stagger [with 10 players[. We have to look at it because it’s been good for us.

“But do we have a true second unit? Is it really beneficial for us? I don’t know yet.”

Sunday is the first dress rehearsal.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In case you’re wondering, Alex Caruso doesn’t do defense during the offseason.

“That’s my joke with everybody too,” Caruso said in an interview following Thursday’s practice at Belmont University. “I don’t play defense until I have to.”

In May, Caruso earned his first nod to the NBA’s All-Defense team, a first-team selection to boot. He sat down with NBC Sports Chicago to discuss that honor, what’s next and why he’s going to try to be more “selfish” this season.

This interview has been edited slightly for length and clarity.

NBC Sports Chicago: What did that All-Defense honor mean to you?

Alex Caruso: That was pretty cool. It definitely was a goal. The first team is tough. You can’t luck into that. That’s a real accomplishment in this league, especially the way the game is played now where there’s so much emphasis on offense and space. I was pretty proud of that. And it was just cool because to get on one of those teams, you have to sacrifice a lot, mentally and physically. Show up every night and take on the challenge of guarding the best players in the league. And I thought it was pretty gratifying because the year before I felt like I was on the way to having consideration for one of those teams. And obviously, I missed half the season so that was out the window. So it was great.

So what’s next when you hit a goal like that? Is it just repeating?

You gotta do it again, yeah.

Defensive Player of the Year?

The way DPOY is kind of voted on and based off of now is the interior has the upper hand on that just because of blocks and rebounds. I probably don’t have enough of those to be under consideration. But you never know. I might have an incredible year.

How do you work on defense in the offseason?

I don’t. I don’t play defense until I have to. That’s my joke with everybody too. I’ll work out. I guess conditioning and lifting are kind of geared toward defense. But I don’t do closeouts, slides, any of that in the offseason. Even when I play pickup, I’m not playing any defense. It takes a lot of mental concentration to do that for 82 games.

What about film work?

A lot of that is in-season stuff. If guys make adjustments to their game, you can’t see it until they start playing again. I still remember everything as far as what guys like to do. That’s not stuff that leaves you when you care about your craft and care about the game and are trying to win. I watch the playoffs. But once that’s over, offseason is clearing the slate and getting ready to go again.

Do you like how the NBA instituted a minimum game requirement of 65 games to be considered for postseason awards?

Yeah, I guess so. I think they pretty much factor that in (voting) anyway. You gotta put yourself out there to garner the awards.

Last season, keeping you healthy was such a franchise priority and you played a career-high in games. Obviously, you need some luck to stay healthy. But how confident are you that you again can stay vital for this season?

You talk about progressions and routines a lot. And I think one thing for me is I’m always trying to get better. I think every year I’ve played in the league, I’ve gotten better. And that’s something I pride myself on and I have to put that goal out there for myself to chase. So this year, I’m trying to chase that again—play more minutes, play more games, work on my prep before practices and games, recovery, nutrition, sleep. Just being dedicated to that and improve that as much as I want to improve my 3-point percentage or my minutes-per-game or my assists percentage.

You’ll be out there a lot regardless and likely in most closing lineups. But why is there no talk of you starting at either point guard or power forward since you’ve played both?

The power forward one is not my favorite. It took a toll on me the second half. It was rough. That’s one of the added benefits I think I bring to a team. I feel I’m pretty unselfish. And I’ve talked to Billy (Donovan) and some of the assistants about being more selfish at times. It’s almost putting a burden on the team when I’m not selfish at times, when I pass up shots or pass up opportunities to be aggressive or to speak up. So this starting stuff is what it is. I’d rather play late in the game than early in the game. When it counts, I want to be on the court.

Who are your toughest covers?

I get that question all the time from people I meet or guys I work out with randomly who I see for the first time. There are literally 20 names I could give you. This is how I describe it: If I follow the game plan and play really good defense, the best guys in the league—the 1-2 punches like DeMar (DeRozan) and Zach (LaVIne) for us—are still going to get their average. There’s just that much volume, transition, switches, so many opportunities. If I don’t do my job, they’ll go for 40 or 50. So you take your pick any night for toughest cover. Anybody who’s an All-Star and there are even some guys who come off the bench and average 20 a night. Jordan Clarkson is a good example. Jordan Clarkson is one of the harder guys to guard in the league because he can shoot from outside, he can shoot from midrange, he can get fouled. Makes good reads off counters. There are just so many guys in the league these days who are so skilled. There’s not one answer. There are the obvious ones, Steph (Curry), KD (Kevin Durant), LeBron (James), Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell. Those two last year, I thought Book and Donovan Mitchell were really motivated because of the situations the teams had. It’s a really long list.

I’m curious: How did the play-in loss to Miami sit with you as you watched the playoffs unfold?

The playoffs are so matchup-based and Jimmy (Butler) was going crazy in that first round against the Bucks. That propelled them. Who knows what would’ve happened if we had won that game? I thought we played so well. It was almost the opposite of Toronto where I thought Toronto played better than us for 2 ½, 3 quarters and then we kind of won the game late. I thought we played better than Miami for the majority of that game and it was a better matchup for us. We had won the season series. And then they just made more plays and more shots down the stretch. Basketball is a make-or-miss league. But I don’t think back to that game as much as I do to four or five games during the season that we should’ve won. We should beat the teams that are under .500, definitely at home. And then you’re not even in the play-in game. And that didn’t sit well with me as I tried to sleep at night.

What do you think the additions of Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig can do for you?

We’ve already seen it. There was one play in practice today where me and Ayo (Dosunmu) got a stop and then Torrey got a block and Jevon got a strip and we got another stop. If we have me and Ayo and Drum (Andre Drummond) on that second unit and we add those two pieces, it’s going to be hard to get a good shot off against that second unit if we’re locked in. Once we do, we have multiple ballhandlers and can break out and run a little bit. I’m excited. They fit really well for the mentality that me and Ayo and Drum have played with the last couple years.

I have to ask: What’s the golf handicap these days?

It’s a 6 probably right now. I got it down to a 3 or a 2.9 in July. I was playing a lot.

Do I have to refer to you as first-team All-Defense selection Alex Caruso every time I write about you now?

If you’d like to, yeah, that’d be nice. (laughs)

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

NASHVILLE, Tenn. —As the point guard and power forward starting position battles continue to play out over the course of Chicago Bulls training camp, Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter are focused less on that and more on trying to address what they feel the team lacked last season.

The free-agent signees own unique perspectives, having played important roles on playoff teams in the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks, respectively.

Both players talked shortly after signing about trying to bring a competitive edge that can help the Bulls flip the script in their clutch games. You could make a case that the primary reason the Bulls moved from a playoff team in 2021-22 to failing to exit the play-in tournament in 2022-23 is the discrepancy in clutch games.

In the playoff season, the Bulls finished 25-16 in such games, which are defined as within five points or less and under 5 minutes to play. Last season, the Bulls finished just 15-23 in clutch games, tying for the second-fewest such victories in the league.

“Obviously playing against them a couple times, just seeing the amount of talent they had on the team, and I told Coach (Billy Donovan) the amount of games in that they did not finish, it’s that little bit of competitive edge that you have to have to finish out games and get over the hump,’’ Craig said following Wednesday’s practice at Belmont University. “That was one of the reasons I decided to come here because I felt like I could bring that extra edge and try and win some of the close games we’ve been in or try and motivate my teammates to get over the hump.’’

Like Carter, who said on Monday’s media day that he won’t be afraid to use his voice, Craig isn’t going to shy away from having tough conversations with teammates. The franchise has prioritized cohesion and communication, which is one reason why they’re holding remote training camp.

“I’m new here, so I’m trying to figure things out. But at the same time, I’ve been on some really good teams and played in a lot of games. So any advice I can give to guys or coaches I’m going to feel free to do that and not shy away from it because I think that’s what this team is missing,’’ Craig said. “A little bit of toughness, a little bit of an edge for guys with raw emotion to say how they feel and wear those emotions on their sleeve.’’

The Bulls received a boost last season when Patrick Beverley arrived via the buyout market. His direct leadership style is what management is hoping will be more widespread this season.

Between Alex Caruso consistently holding teammates accountable to Coby White finding his voice to the additions of Craig and Carter, the Bulls’ rotational depth and leadership by committee could be positive factors.

Whether or not Carter or Craig starts, both will play significant roles—with their words and their actions.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Count Ayo Dosunmu out and watch what happens.

That rookie season where it looked like, on paper, he might be headed to the G League? First, he cracked the rotation. Then, he seized the starting point guard position when Lonzo Ball suffered his first knee injury.

It’s happening again.

Dosunmu’s role decreased last season following Patrick Beverley’s arrival. And on paper at least, he looks like the odd man out of a crowded guard picture that features newcomer and main free-agent signing Jevon Carter along with holdovers Zach LaVine, Coby White and Alex Caruso.

That crowded rotation didn’t stop Dosunmu from re-signing with his hometown Chicago Bulls on a three-year, $21 million deal.

“I want to play so hard and be so able at both ends that Coach (Billy) Donovan, he can’t not have me on the court,” Dosunmu said in an interview with NBC Sports Chicago following Wednesday’s training camp practice at Belmont University.

Management and Donovan have declared the starting point guard position to be an open competition between Carter, White and Dosunmu. And Donovan added that whichever player emerges to start the regular-season opener on Oct. 25 against Oklahoma City may not be the permanent starter.

That’s how much the position is in flux. Which is why Dosunmu is so focused on rebounding from his up-and-down second season.

“I think someone’s progress is not always particularly a direct path upward. Ayo probably in a lot of ways exceeded expectations. When Lonzo went down and we were in a jam there, he really stepped in and played incredible basketball the second half of his rookie year,” Donovan said. “But with that opportunity comes more film and more preparation from opposing teams. And there were things that for him that he probably wasn’t ready to see quite honestly. And I think he had a really good summer. He was in here the whole summer. He put the work in.

“Offensively, he can see the way he was being guarded. I think he knows the things that he needs to get better at as it relates to finishing at the rim, decision-making, shooting the basketball—him being efficient and confident. That’s the biggest thing for young guys. I think for Ayo, even though it was challenging at times for him last year, it may end up being the best thing for his growth to actually have to go through some adversity and challenges like he did. Because he handled it great not only in the season but in the offseason as well.”

Indeed, Dosunmu discussed how he attacked the offseason, his decision to re-sign with the Bulls and his expectations for himself and the Bulls during his interview, which has been edited slightly for length and clarity

NBC Sports Chicago: How many times have you been asked for a loan this summer?

Ayo Dosunmu: Ha, not a lot. Keep the circle tight.

Free agency was a drawn-out process. Was there ever a moment you thought you might not be re-signing with the Chicago Bulls?

I mean, you’ve been doing this business for a long time. You pretty much know how the business works. Of course, it’s always a possibility in free agency that anything can happen just with the nature of how the league is going. I came into free agency with an open mind that I could be playing anywhere. Put my feelings aside and basically try to secure what’s best for me and my game and my family for the future. Ultimately with praying, leaving it up to God, that was my path, to sign back with the Bulls.

Why did you want to re-sign?

Of course just playing with the team for two years and building up that camaraderie and knowing we had a lot of unfinished business, that was a big reason.

It’s a crowded guard picture on paper. But it seems like every time whenever you’re counted out, you keep coming. So what’s your approach to this competition?

Basically just going out there and trying to incorporate everything I learned this summer. It definitely feels different going into my third year of training camp, just having more knowledge. And knowledge is key. Going through the war wounds, being in big playoff games against the Bucks and play-in experience against the Raptors and Heat, that elevates you as a player. That experience makes you grow. I’m eager to show the growth I’ve had and the trials and tribulations I’ve had.

We’ve been told by management and the coaching staff there’s an open competition in training camp for the starting point guard position. How are you approaching that?

I’m a competitor. I’m going to try my best. Ultimately, I think that competition is going to help our team in the long run. We go at each other and try to kill each other in practice. When we’re on the court together, it’s going to make our team much more smooth. Me going into my third year and our core group being together pretty much the same time, it’s getting time for us to turn the corner.

You took a big jump from your sophomore year to your junior year at Illinois. So what do we have in store for Year 3 of Ayo in the NBA?

That’s been my path, even back to high school. I pretty much took my jump my junior year. The first two years I’m pretty much learning. And my sophomore year is always the year where I pretty much hit the little roadblock. And my junior year is the year I come over. I’m excited. I put a lot of work into my game, watched a lot of film. Playing over 150 games against the top players in the league. Guarding the top players in the league, I learned so much. Me going into Year 3, I’m eager to take that next jump.

What specifically did you work on this offseason?

You know, I worked No. 1 on being in tip-top shape to be able to physically sustain the whole season at a high level. I think first acknowledging that, being in the best shape, being able to run and put more time on the clock, I think that will be able to elevate my game in the best ways. And then of course, just my jumpshot, being more confident on the unders [when defenders go under screens], taking what the defense is giving me. And then controlling pace. I think the more the game slows down, the more I’m able to make the right reads. I work on the reads every day, two or three hours a day. Once I allow myself to slow down and read the game, I’m able to make the best decisions.

Is that read on you right, that whenever you’re counted out you seem to rise up and butt into the picture?

For sure. I’m a competitor. Ultimately, I want to win. I put so much work into my game this summer—two-a-days, three-a-days, waking up at 5 or 6 am throughout the whole contract process still. I tried to progress. I want to play so hard and be so able at both ends that Coach Donovan, he can’t not have me on the court. That’s I want to have this year. I want to have that presence where my teammates know that when Ayo is on the court, good things happen.

Last season is weird because, statistically, it’s very similar to your first season. But it just looked different. You’ve been up front with some struggles and hitting some speedbumps. When you look back on your second season, how do you assess it?

I assess it as it was what was destined for me. It was a part of the map. From my first year to my second year, I missed a lot of open shots. I think that’s probably why people may say that it dropped. But I’m capable of making those shots. And then like I said, just slowing the game down, taking the next step. Just reading the defense better. Once they go under, stop behind and shoot it. When they go over, come off, make the right read. Playing in transition. Get to the free-throw line. Rebound. That’s the next step that people were expecting me to make last year that I’m going to take this year. Those little things and using that experience and those trials and tribulations to elevate and keep going.

From a team perspective, last year was obviously a disappointment. And there just seems like quite a bit of talent in this gym. So what do you think you can accomplish as a team?

I mean, if you look at our team, I think we’re pretty deep. One through 10, one through 12, we got a lot of talented players. And now it’s all about trusting each other. It’s all about having that that fun and camaraderie together at both ends. If you look at all the teams that go far or have won the previous years, their depth was a key factor. It was guys who stepped up that people may not have thought were capable of doing that. I think we have the team to do that with our Big Three and then quality, talented young players who are eager to put their footprint in the league and eager to get better. I think there’s going to be a time this season—quote me—where we’re all going to turn that corner. And every time you look up, it’s going to be just good basketball played at both ends. Because we got a lot of hungry and talented players.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When DeMar DeRozan met the media following Tuesday’s practice at Belmont University and fielded questions about how Patrick Williams fared at DeRozan’s notorious offseason workouts, DeRozan initially misunderstood the question.

“I thought you were saying was he better than me and I was gonna say hell nah,” DeRozan said, smiling.

Williams, standing within earshot, interjected.

“Who was better at 22?” the fourth-year forward said, also smiling.

DeRozan countered.

“Y’all can check the stats,” DeRozan said, now laughing.

DeRozan averaged 16.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2 assists for the 2011-12 Toronto Raptors in his age 22 season. Whether or not Williams can match or surpass those statistics remains to be seen.

But the fact Williams attended DeRozan’s Los Angeles-based boot camp for the second straight summer is a start. Perhaps more telling is Williams interjecting his witty rejoinder during DeRozan’s media session, another example of the comfort and confidence Williams is displaying as he finds his voice.

“He still gotta talk more,” DeRozan said. “But you can tell he’s a lot more personable now.

“That means everything, him being vocal, him showing a little more bravado. I’m hoping he gets a (technical foul) this year. If he gets a tech this year, one I’ll pay it and two, y’all see how far he done came.”

Williams remains the X-factor for the 2023-24 Bulls. If he builds on his 2022-23 season and shows even more aggressiveness, perhaps he can match DeRozan’s numbers from long ago.

More importantly, Williams’ continued development can help him achieve his answer when asked what his goal is for this season.

“Win,” Williams said.

What about individually?

“Win,” Williams repeated. “I come from Florida State. You guys know my stats there don’t match up to the fourth pick. It just doesn’t. Talent-wise, for sure I deserve to be the fourth pick. But I truly believe winning takes care of everything.”

DeRozan has taken Williams under his wing since his arrival. Management has publicly placed the onus on Williams to take the next step.

But Williams is emphatic about one thing as he enters a year in which he’s eligible to have his rookie contract extended.

“I don’t think anything has gone wrong,’’ Williams said. “I feel extremely, extremely comfortable where I am now going into my fourth year. I’m not ashamed of … I’m actually pretty proud of the steps I’ve taken to get to this point. I think I’ve put myself into a really good position going into my fourth year to show what I can do.’’

Player development isn’t a linear path. Different players develop at different speeds. Williams continues to put the work in to try to reach his potential.

“Consistency is going to be a big factor of it,’’ Williams said. “Being more consistent rebounding, pushing the ball, being aggressive in transition, creating off the dribble, catch-and-shoots. Just a more forceful me. I’ve shown it all. Now I think it’s time to put the puzzle together.”

Where Williams fits in coach Billy Donovan’s lineup puzzle remains to be seen. Donovan said Williams worked with the first unit during Tuesday’s practice but that he likely would take a look at Torrey Craig in that role on Wednesday. And Alex Caruso also will log some minutes at power forward.

All Donovan will commit to is that Williams will play an “integral role” during this season. Donovan also said he has entertained the idea of starting Williams but then staggering his minutes to that he plays against the opposing team’s second unit, where Williams experienced success over last season’s final 17 games.

“I think every player wants to start,” Williams said. “But I want to come in and play my game, however that plays out with the coaching staff. Part of being on a team is you have to trust the people you’re on a team with. You have to trust the plan they have for you. You might have to sacrifice.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

“The Chicago Bulls are one of the most recognizable brands in all of sports and NBC Sports Chicago is proud to once again deliver our expanded multiplatform coverage of this storied franchise to our viewers,” said John Schippman, VP of Sports Content, NBCUniversal Local Chicago. “Our expert talent roster, featuring Adam, Stacey, Jason, Kendall, Will and K.C., will once again bring the passion and honesty that Bulls fans have come to expect from our game night coverage.”

NBC Sports Chicago will tip-off its 2023-24 regular season Bulls coverage with the HOME/SEASON OPENER on Wednesday, October 25, as the Bulls face the Oklahoma City Thunder live from the United Center. Opening Night coverage begins at 6:30 PM CT with Coors Light Bulls Pregame Live featuring host Jason Goff, along with analysts/former NBA standouts Kendall Gill and Will Perdue, who will provide a complete pre-game analysis and player match-up breakdown. 

Opening Night “tip-off” on October 25 gets underway at 7:00 PM as NBC Sports Chicago’s Bulls play-by-play announcer Adam Amin and veteran game analyst/three-time Bulls NBA Champion Stacey King deliver the always-entertaining game call.  In addition, NBC Sports Chicago Bulls “Insider”/veteran NBA expert K.C. Johnson will also join Amin and King as an in-game contributor for all Bulls home game telecasts this season. The home/season opener will be immediately followed by an expanded edition of Toyota Bulls Postgame Live featuring Bulls head coach Billy Donovan’s live post-game press conference, along with post-game player reaction, expanded highlights, detailed analysis, upcoming game previews and more. (NOTE: NBC Sports Chicago’s complete 2023-24 Bulls pre-season and regular season schedule can be found at the end of this announcement.)

Prior to the Bulls regular season opener, Bulls fans can look forward to a sneak preview of the upcoming NBA season on Monday, October 23 at 6:30 PM with the Bulls Season Preview Specialpresented by Kia. Hosted by Jason Goff, along with analysts Kendall Gill and Will Perdue, this half-hour special will have fans fully prepped for Opening Night featuring a comprehensive look at this year’s Bulls roster, a recap of all the off-season moves around the NBA, along with season predictions and special guest interviews. NOTE: NBC Sports Chicago is also scheduled to re-air the Bulls Season Preview Special on Tuesday, October 24 at 6:30 PM.

Please note the following “additional” highlights surrounding NBC Sports Chicago’s comprehensive coverage of the 2023-24 Chicago Bulls:

LIVE STREAMING DETAILS

Every Bulls game telecast, along with surrounding pre/postgame coverage, will also be live streamed to authenticated NBC Sports Chicago viewers on NBCSportsChicago.com and the “NBC Sports” app. For more information about NBC Sports Chicago’s live streaming of its Bulls telecasts, viewers are urged to visit the following link: Bulls Streaming – NBC Sports Chicago

NBCSPORTSCHICAGO.COM / NBC SPORTS CHICAGO APP / SOCIAL MEDIA

From a digital standpoint, NBCSportsChicago.com and the NBC Sports Chicago app will be THE destination for Bulls fans all season long featuring expert reporting and team/player updates via Bulls “Insider” K.C. Johnson. NBCSportsChicago.com and the NBC Sports Chicago app will also deliver exclusive Bulls content throughout the season including breaking news, feature stories, player profiles, video highlights, and more. Also – fans on social media are urged to follow @NBCSBulls on X (Twitter) for in-game updates, breaking news, interactive questions, polls, and much more 24/7.  In addition, a multitude of “Sights & Sounds” moments throughout the upcoming NBA season will be provided via Instagram and Instagram Stories (@NBCSChicago) and on TikTok (@nbcschicago).

“BULLS TALK” PODCAST

Throughout the upcoming NBA season, fans can also look forward to new editions of the Bulls Talk Podcast presented by Toyota. Hosted by Jason Goff and K.C. Johnson, the Bulls Talk podcast focuses on the hottest topics surrounding the Bulls and the NBA, which includes special guest interviews throughout the year. Fans can download all of NBC Sports Chicago’s podcasts at NBCSportsChicago.com/podcasts and simply subscribe to them via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Art19, and YouTube. The podcasts can be played on any mobile device, laptop, or desktop computer. 

NBC 5 NEWS / NOTIECIERO TELEMUNDO CHICAGO

NBC 5 News (featuring Leila Rahimi, Mike Berman, Ruthie Polinsky,and Jeff Blanzy) and Noticiero Telemundo Chicago (featuring Héctor Lozano and Raúl Delgado) will provide viewers with extensive Bulls coverage all season long featuring the very latest team/player news, game highlights, interviews with players and coaches, feature stories, and much more. NOTE: NBC 5 News can also be seen on the NBC Chicago News 24/7 live streaming channel.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO

NBCSportsChicago.com / ”NBC Sports” app

2023 – 2024 Chicago Bulls Schedule

PRE-SEASON

Sun, Oct. 8                  12:00 pm         @ Milwaukee

Thu, Oct. 12                7:00 pm           vs. Denver

Sun, Oct. 15               8:00 pm           @ Denver

Tue, Oct. 17                7:00 pm           vs. Toronto

Thu, Oct. 19                7:00 pm           vs. Minnesota

REGULAR SEASON

Wed, Oct. 25              7:00 pm           vs. Oklahoma City                HOME/SEASON OPENER!

Fri, Oct. 27                  7:00 pm           vs. Toronto                            NBCSCH+

Sat, Oct. 28                6:00 pm           @ Detroit

Mon, Oct. 30               6:00 pm           @ Indiana

Wed, Nov. 1                7:30 pm           @ Dallas

Fri, Nov. 3                   7:00 pm           vs. Brooklyn                          NBA In-Season Tournament Game

Sat, Nov. 4                  8:00 pm           @ Denver                              NBCSCH+

Mon, Nov. 6                7:00 pm           vs. Utah

Wed, Nov. 8                7:00 pm           vs. Phoenix

Sun, Nov. 12              6:00 pm           vs. Detroit

Mon, Nov. 13              7:00 pm           @ Milwaukee

Wed, Nov. 15             7:00 pm           vs. Orlando

Fri, Nov. 17                 7:00 pm           vs. Orlando                           NBA In-Season Tournament Game

Sat, Nov. 18                7:00 pm           vs. Miami

Mon, Nov. 20              7:00 pm           vs. Miami

Wed, Nov. 22             7:00 pm           @ Oklahoma City                 NBCSCH+

Fri, Nov. 24                 6:30 pm           @ Toronto                             NBA In-Season Tournament Game

Sun, Nov. 26              6:30 pm           @ Brooklyn

Tue, Nov. 28               6:30 pm           @ Boston                              NBA In-Season Tournament Game

Thu, Nov. 30               7:00 pm           vs. Milwaukee                      NBCSCH+

Sat, Dec. 2                  7:00 pm           vs. New Orleans

Mon, Dec. 11              7:00 pm           @ Milwaukee

Tue, Dec. 12               7:00 pm           vs. Denver

Thu, Dec. 14               6:30 pm           @ Miami

Sat, Dec. 16                7:00 pm           @ Miami

Mon, Dec. 18              6:00 pm           @ Philadelphia

Wed, Dec. 20             7:00 pm           vs. LA Lakers

Thu, Dec. 21               7:00 pm           vs. San Antonio

Sat, Dec. 23                7:00 pm           vs. Cleveland

Tue, Dec. 26               7:00 pm           vs. Atlanta

Thu, Dec. 28               7:00 pm           vs. Indiana

Sat, Dec. 30                7:00 pm           vs. Philadelphia

Tue, Jan. 2                  6:00 pm           @ Philadelphia

Fri, Jan. 5                    7:00 pm           vs. Charlotte                         NBCSCH+

Mon, Jan. 8                 6:00 pm           @ Charlotte

Wed, Jan. 10              7:00 pm           vs. Houston

Fri, Jan. 12                  7:00 pm           vs. Golden State

Sat, Jan. 13                7:30 pm           @ San Antonio

Mon, Jan. 15              6:00 pm           @ Cleveland

Sat, Jan. 20                7:00 pm           vs. Memphis

Mon, Jan. 22              8:00 pm           @ Phoenix

Thu, Jan 25                9:30 pm           @ LA Lakers                         NBCSCH+

Sun, Jan. 28               8:00 pm           @ Portland

Tue, Jan. 30               7:00 pm           vs. Toronto

Wed, Jan. 31              6:00 pm           @ Charlotte

Sat, Feb. 3                  7:00 pm           vs. Sacramento

Tue, Feb. 6                 7:00 pm           vs. Minnesota

Thu, Feb. 8                 7:00 pm           @ Memphis

Sat, Feb. 10                6:00 pm           @ Orlando

Mon, Feb. 12              6:30 pm           @ Atlanta

Wed, Feb. 14             6:30 pm           @ Cleveland

Thu, Feb. 22               7:00 pm           vs. Boston

Sun, Feb. 25               6:00 pm           @ New Orleans                    NBCSCH+

Tue, Feb. 27               7:00 pm           vs. Detroit

Wed, Feb. 28             7:00 pm           vs. Cleveland

Fri, Mar. 1                   9:00 pm           vs. Milwaukee

Mon, Mar. 4                9:00 pm           @ Sacramento                     NBCSCH+

Wed, Mar. 6                8:00 pm           @ Utah

Thu, Mar. 7                 9:00 pm           @ Golden State

Sat, Mar. 9                  3:00 pm           @ LA Clippers

Mon, Mar. 11              7:00 pm           vs. Dallas

Wed, Mar. 13              6:30 pm           @ Indiana

Thu, Mar. 14               7:00 pm           vs. LA Clippers

Sat, Mar. 16                7:00 pm           vs. Washington

Mon, Mar. 18              7:00 pm           vs. Portland

Thu, Mar. 21               7:00 pm           @ Houston

Sat, Mar. 23                7:00 pm           vs. Boston

Mon, Mar. 25              7:00 pm           vs. Washington

Wed, Mar. 27              7:00 pm           vs. Indiana

Fri, Mar. 29                 6:30 pm           @ Brooklyn

Sun, Mar. 31               6:00 pm           @ Minnesota

Mon, Apr. 1                 7:00 pm           vs. Atlanta

Fri, Apr. 5                    7:00 pm           vs. New York

Sun, Apr. 7                  5:00 pm           @ Orlando                            NBCSCH+

Tue, Apr. 9                  7:00 pm           vs. New York

Thu, Apr. 11                6:00 pm           @ Detroit’

Fri, Apr. 12                  6:00 pm           @ Washington

Sun, Apr. 14               12:00 pm         @ New York

Pre-Season: 3 Home, 2 Road (Total: 5)

Regular Season: 40 Home, 38 Road (Total: 78)

NOTE: Two (2) additional “NBA In-Season Tournament Game” dates/times TBA

All Times Central Time

Schedule Subject to Change

NBCSCH+ designates “NBC Sports Chicago Plus” telecasts (please consult your on-screen channel guide for NBCSCH+ channel locations in your area)

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Monday night featured casual conversation following a team dinner, talk that stretched deep into the night.

Tuesday night, following the Chicago Bulls’ first training camp practice of the season at Belmont University, a team outing to Topgolf loomed.

The Bulls are holding remote training camp for the first time since visiting Beloit (Wis.) College in 1985, Michael Jordan’s second season. And not to get too deep on the decision, but coach Billy Donovan said the genesis stemmed in part from how the world mostly communicates now.

“I don’t think this is necessarily just our team. I think it’s in general with society. These guys have really good relationships. But I think there’s a deeper connection that you’ve gotta have and establish. In today’s society, where everything is done with your phone and there’s Facebook and all these social media platforms, they don’t really connect like you think they’d connect. And the connection part is the communication piece,” Donovan said. “And I thought this was an opportunity for us to get away and connect.

“In a lot of ways, we don’t have to communicate as much as we did in the past because everything can be done by phone or email or text. In talking to those guys, the players really thought it would be a great idea.”

DeMar DeRozan, for one.

“I was all for it,” DeRozan said. “I’m going to be honest: I always hated training camp in the city you played in. We’re going to be in Chicago half the year. So why not just get away going into the season to try to lock in?”

DeRozan is a veteran of remote training camps, having visited various Canadian stops like Vancouver and Montreal when he played for the Toronto Raptors.

“That was a big part of our success, quite honestly,” DeRozan said. “On those trips, we did a lot of stuff that we probably wouldn’t do if we were at home just practicing. And that carried over to the season as far as having each other’s backs.”

During exit meetings last April after a disappointing, 40-42 season and play-in loss to the Miami Heat failed to produce a playoff berth, management heard from enough players to worry about a cohesion problem. It’s not that the players didn’t get along. It’s more that sometimes communication, the ability to have really hard conversations, didn’t always happen to the level of accountability needed.

Losing Patrick Beverley, who Donovan called “the ringleader” for such activities as going to watch NFL games together, added to the equation. And when management largely returned the same team, swapping out Beverley for Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig for Derrick Jones Jr., the decision to practice remotely crystallized.

With input from many, the principal decision-makers settled on Nashville as opposed to somewhere like, say, Las Vegas, another city considered.

“This was convenient,” Donovan said. “Belmont has a great facility; we appreciate them opening it up. It was a one-hour flight from Chicago. The travel just made a lot of sense.

“One of the things we talked about is we’re bringing back the same group. We have to do something different. We can’t just do the same thing and expect everything to be fine.

“It’s not just about going to dinner. It’s about having conversations about really what they need from each other as teammates, how they can help one another. We have to communicate well on the stuff that matters.

“Sometimes they’re not always going to be easy. They’ll be difficult. It’s not personal. They all want to win and come together and figure out ways to do that. But the more they can connect with one another to have those conversations, I think the easier it is.”

And for the first day, when everybody is 0-0 and no issues or injuries have crept into the picture, the returns were positive.

“Today was good, very productive just from a standpoint of everybody being very vocal, on one another, holding each other accountable,” DeRozan said. “As soon as a mistake was made, offensively or defensively, guys were on one another.”

DeRozan said Alex Caruso consistently has been the most vocal over the last two seasons in terms of holding teammates accountable. But Coby White started growing into the role more last season. And Beverley may be gone, but Carter doesn’t plan to sit idly on the sidelines.

“I am,” Carter said, when asked if he’s a vocal leader. “I think I just need to do a better job of learning how to deliver the message. Because everybody’s different, not everybody takes everything the same way. So it’s just learning the guys and seeing what they like, don’t like. But I can say I’m going to voice my opinion.”

This desire to improve cohesion and communication also featured September outings. The Bulls held a softball game at Guaranteed Rate Field and also visited Topgolf in Chicago.

These may seem like small things or rah-rah college stuff. But if the focus to improve the dynamic is coming from the players and from within the organization, perhaps it can lead to on-the-court improvement.

“They’re really good guys and all have good relationships. But there’s a different kind of connection that you have to have in your job to be really, really good,” Donovan said. “I think that was something they all felt they needed to be better at.

“I just think it’s everybody just understanding it. I think I’ve got to do a better job of maybe creating opportunities where we have more discussions. Where it’s not just go to practice and leave practice. Where it’s, ‘Hey, Alex, who did you need more from today? Why did you need more from this guy? Hey, Ayo (Dosunmu), who did a really great job for you today? Hey, DeMar, who in your opinion sacrificed?’ I think those are things where you start the conversation.”

A conversation that leads to the next conversation and the next one, and the one after that.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Yes, there’s the money—$60 million to be exact. And the security of three seasons in a city where his family is comfortable doesn’t hurt either.

But ask Nikola Vučević for his feelings about re-signing with the Chicago Bulls before even hitting unrestricted free agency, and his first answer is about on-the-court matters.

“I felt like there was a lot of work undone,” Vučević said Monday at Bulls media day at the Advocate Center. “I felt like this team had a lot more to show and improve on. So it was a lot of stuff I discussed with a lot of guys around the team when I was making my decision.

“I don’t know if we’ll get to it. But I felt like we had to give it another shot. I just felt like we didn’t show our best and we all still have a little bit of that chip on the shoulder to have a better season, play better as a team and that was a big part of my decision.

“Chicago traded for me. They brought me here. They gave up a lot for me. And so I felt a responsibility to come back and help the team do better than we did. I don’t know what that will be in the end. But that’s just kind of how I felt.

“Obviously, I felt very comfortable here with the front office, the coaching staff and especially my teammates. A lot of guys, I’ve become very close with. And I just felt right.”

As for Coby White, his three-year, $36 million deal, which has a chance to be worth $40 million if incentives are hit, carried significance beyond the court.

White and Zach LaVine represent the only two players remaining on the Bulls who were inherited by the current managerial regime. In 2022, management showed its faith in Zach LaVine by signing him to a maximum contract extension.

This offseason, management reached a verbal agreement with White on the opening night of free agency.

“Obviously, it’s life-changing money,” White said. “It’s a blessing that I get to sign my second contract. Not a lot of guys get to say that in this league. Especially signing with the team that I started with, with everything this organization has went through.

“With all the changes, I’m still here, the team I got drafted to. When I sat back and actually thought about it and it sunk in, it was a crazy feeling. To look back on all the years and all the changes that’s been made, I’m still here. I’m just excited to be back. Me and Zach, he’s been with me every step of the way of my career, so I’m excited to be back with him too.”

Now that the business of basketball is over, White and Vučević are focused on what they can do to help the Bulls improve off last season’s disappointing 40-42 season.

The Bulls have talked about utilizing Vučević’s passing ability more this season, using him as a hub for varied offensive looks centered on player movement in the halfcourt sets. Vučević played 82 games for the first time in his 12-year career last season, shooting 34.9 percent from 3-point range as well.

“I’m most efficient, most comfortable inside and playing closer to the basket. But when there are opportunities for me to step out and shoot it, it can help our team out in a lot of different ways,” Vučević said. “Whether that’s me shooting the 3 or if I do make one or two of the bigs start closing out to me more aggressively and it opens opportunities for me to drive. Or if I get them out of the paint, it opens up opportunities for others to drive.

“So for me specifically it’s just about finding that right balance and not being outside too much and not being inside too much where I’m clogging the paint for everybody.”

White said his offseason focused on overall improvement, with an emphasis on shooting off the dribble. He is in the mix to start at point guard along with Ayo Dosunmu and Jevon Carter.

“I just want to grow and continue to get better. The biggest thing is to just be more consistent. Play the same way day in and day out,” White said. “Obviously you’re going to have bad nights here and there. Try to eliminate all the bad nights, especially the consecutive bad nights.

“In my career, I’ve been labeled as an up-and-down player. And to a certain extent, that’s kind of true. Some nights you don’t know which Coby you’re going to get. So for me, I just want to be more consistent. And that started this summer with the mental approach.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

In some ways, everything looked normal as Lonzo Ball sat in full uniform on a dais at Chicago Bulls media day at the Advocate Center, answering questions about his and the team’s future prospects.

But of course, nothing is normal about Ball’s career path, which has veered off course because of a troublesome left knee that has required three surgeries since arriving in Chicago.

When Ball played his first half-season following his sign-and-trade acquisition from the New Orleans Pelicans, the Bulls led the Eastern Conference and Ball’s four-year, $80 million deal helped bring management’s vision to life.

Since January 2022, though, Ball has yet to appear in an NBA game. And management already has ruled him out for his second straight season in 2023-24.

“I’m feeling pretty good, probably about halfway through the rehab process,” Ball said. “Still got a long ways ahead of me but each week I’ve been progressing and I’m just trying to stay positive and take it day-by-day.”

Ball’s last surgical procedure in March 2023 was his most daunting. Ball underwent a cartilage transplant, a procedure that leaves his playing future in doubt.

But Ball remains steadfast in his confidence to return to the NBA.

“I definitely plan on playing again,” Ball said. “After surgery three, I feel like it’s going well so far, no setbacks. So for me it’s just keep my head up, just keep doing the work.

“Rehab has been long. It feels like every day is almost the same. But I’m getting better each week and that’s all I can ask for. It feels good to be around the guys. You can feel a new energy in the building, at least coming from my point of view.

“The surgery was a really big surgery. We were all together and came together with a plan moving forward. It’s not really a set timeline. But I pretty much have this whole year to get as healthy as possible and be ready to go next season.”

Ball said he would split time this season between Chicago and Los Angeles, where his rehabilitation team and routine are established. When he’s with the Bulls, he vowed to talk to teammates and offer advice to help any way he can.

“Everything happens for a reason. I couldn’t control getting hurt or not getting hurt or anything like that. It’s just something that happened to me, part of my career,” he said. “I try to stay positive. I don’t look at the negatives. I try to think about what I can do to get better and that’s how I wake up every day and live.

“I have a lot of family and friends that have helped me along the way, especially this team right here. For me, I have a lot of people in my corner, so it’s not just me fighting this fight. It’s everybody around me as well. I appreciate them every day.”

Ball’s teammates appreciate him, not only for how he played on the court throughout the first half of 2021-22 but for remaining committed to trying to return.

“You’re not going to replace somebody like Lonzo Ball,” Zach LaVine said. “We talked about that for the last couple of years. You take your hat off to Lonzo for him trying to work his way back and doing everything he can to get back on the floor. It’s good to see him here.”

And perhaps one day, it will be in uniform and on a court.

“I just miss playing. It’s a big part of my life that’s gone. I mean, I’ve been playing organized hoops since I was 6,” Ball said. “So to be out these last two years, that’s been the toughest part. Just not being able to physically get on the court and put the jersey on and go to battle. But I’m here to help in any way I can. I’m looking forward to the season.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

The days leading up to the start of NBA training camp featured the Milwaukee Bucks adding Damian Lillard and the Boston Celtics nabbing Jrue Holiday, making the Eastern Conference race top-heavy.

But don’t tell that to Chicago Bulls newcomer Jevon Carter.

“Thoughts on Milwaukee and Boston? I don’t really care. I’m a Chicago Bull,” Carter said Monday at the Advocate Center. “I’m not really thinking about Boston or Milwaukee.”

That was the pervading mantra from Bulls’ media day. Following an offseason in which management tripled down on its core of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls are focused on internal improvement and believe they have what it takes to make some noise.

“Everybody’s 0-0 right now,” LaVine said. “Obviously, they made some big trade acquisitions, added high-level guards. Obviously, everything looks good on paper. But we put the work in. If you don’t believe in your group or your guys, you shouldn’t show up.

“I’m looking very much forward to this training camp, us getting off to a good start. Because it’s a big season for a lot of people.”

Indeed, executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas even talked about this core’s performance impacting whether or not ownership moving forward enters luxury tax territory, a penalty that Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf only have paid once in franchise history.

“I think we’re at the point where we’re going to go into the luxury tax if we’re confirming this is the group. I think this is just giving more time for this group to figure it out. And I think once you have consistent success, you can go for it,” Karnišovas said. “In all my conversations with Jerry and Michael, obviously they have no problem going into it. But we have to make sure it’s the right group. I believe in them. I have faith in them going into this season. We’ll see how the season plays out.”

To improve on last season’s underwhelming 40-42 season which featured the Bulls beating the Toronto Raptors but losing to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in the play-in tournament, the Bulls must improve their 24th-ranked offense. Adding Carter, who, coincidentally, arrived from the Bucks, and Torrey Craig should help the Bulls’ 3-point attack, which ranked last in the NBA last season.

But the Bulls’ offensive goals move beyond just improving their 3-point shooting.

“We’re looking to play faster,” Karnišovas said. “We’re going to try and move the ball better.”

And so playing in transition and utilizing quick decision-making with more paint attacks in halfcourt settings are focal points.

LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic each had strong seasons individually last season, but it didn’t translate to a high-powered offense or victories.

“How do you have three guys at that level offensively and look at the fact that we’re 24^th on offense? We shot the ball 11^th best of anyone in the league, our effective field goal percentage was good. The key for us was we did not get to the free-throw line. We were 24^th or 25^th there. And the other part of it was we didn’t have many opportunities to offensive rebound,” coach Billy Donovan said. “And the shot profile, to me it’s less about taking more 3s as much as it is how you generate them. Our biggest challenge with this group is we’ve got to get into the paint.

“We’ve got to do a better job spacing, a better job attacking the paint. Because about 85 percent of your fouls are taking place inside the paint. It’s the best opportunity to offensive rebound on those shots. And then the third thing is those are where you get kick-out 3s. I think that’s got to be a real focus for us.”

Another offensive wrinkle could be utilizing Vucevic as an offensive hub, taking full advantage of his passing skills.

“That was a big thing for me. It was finding ways to utilize me more,” Vucevic said about conversations that informed his decision to re-sign before hitting free agency. “Not so much only for me shooting the ball and scoring but using my playmaking ability to help the team in different ways.

“I think we can see a lot more teams do it and do it at a high level. Obviously you have Denver with (Nikola) Jokić. You have Miami with Bam (Adebayo). Teams like that that use their big man a lot as a playmaker. And I think we also have a team that can function that way, obviously with me and all the guards that we have who can play off the ball. It could make life a lot easier for a lot of our guys.

“I think last year also we were thinking, ‘When Lonzo (Ball) comes back, it’ll be different.’ I think this year we have a clear picture obviously he’s not going to be back and we have to find other ways to run our offense without putting so much pressure on Zach and DeMar handling the ball and scoring, doing everything. So it’s a lot of conversations I had with Billy before I signed and after I signed about what they were thinking and how I could be utilized and where we could do a lot of stuff I like. I think there’s a lot of different options we could do where I could become a playmaker. That could help a lot.”

DeRozan played for a Raptors franchise that advanced to the Eastern Conference finals with a team that largely stayed intact. So he has seen the continuity route pay dividends. And as the Bulls head to Nashville, Tenn., for the start of training, he is excited for the potential.

“I hate dwelling about the past about anything, but that continuity goes so, so far. You know, sometimes you’ve got to fail as a group to understand what it takes to even win as a group,” he said. “Sometimes you gotta hit the wall hard with a group to understand we are all going to help one another back up.

“And for me, even going out to Nashville and just locking in, getting away from being in the city, where it’s just us, really gaining that camaraderie, the chemistry, the understanding of what it takes, what we need to do by knowing how much we failed last year and the things  that put us in a place that, you know, we have to play for a play-in game. We got to go into training camp with that on our heart and we can leave out of there with much more continuity than we had before. That’s the one thing that always put me in a position to have success with a team was that continuity.”

The Bucks adding Lillard to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Celtics transforming their team with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis complementing Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown make them the prohibitive Eastern Conference favorites. DeRozan is ready.

“I love it. I love it. The competition level should want to bring the best out of you and want to compete against that. That’s how I look at it,” he said. “And that’s one thing I express to the guys. When you see that, you gotta get more hungry, understanding you want to go against those big teams like that and compete. That should bring the best out of you every single night.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

The Chicago Bulls gather for media day on Monday before flying to Nashville, Tenn., for their first week of training camp.

Plenty of questions and storylines surround any NBA team. The Bulls are no exception.

Here are four related to on-the-court matters and not, say, whether or not DeMar DeRozan will be extended:

Will the offense improve?

If followers of the team had a dollar for every time somebody said “how can a team with Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević finish 24^th in offensive rating?” then those people might be as rich as those highly-paid players. Who command their salaries in large part for their ability to put the ball in the basket.

So how did the Bulls finish 24^th in offense? And how can they be better?

It’s well documented the Bulls represented the only NBA team that didn’t attempt at least 30 3-pointers per game last season. So part of the offensive issue is a simple math problem. In too many games, the Bulls made a similar amount of field goals as their opponent, only to lose the 3-point battle.

But it won’t just be adding Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig via free agency and letting 3-pointers fly. In general, look for the offensive philosophy to be tweaked. Sure, there will be moments where hero ball is needed, particularly in crunch time when the game slows. DeRozan’s midrange magic will still have a role.

But look for the Bulls to try to play faster in transition and attack the paint in the halfcourt, leading to spray-out passes for 3-point shots.

Beyond that, Vučević’s passing and shooting ability likely will be used more as an offensive hub, where he works at the elbow with players cutting off him. Sacramento utilizes Domantas Sabonis in similar sets.

And don’t be surprised to see DeRozan’s scoring take a small dip and his assists average rise, a la his San Antonio Spurs days.

The Bulls also ranked 26^th in free-throw attempts and must get to the line more. This is tied into the desire by the coaching staff to see more paint attacks.

Can the defense hold steady?

When a team desires to play faster offensively and attempt to take more 3-pointers, one potentially negative byproduct can be placing more pressure on the defense.

Beyond a solid coaching scheme and effort and execution from the players, one reason the Bulls fielded a top-five defense last season is they had the opportunity to set their defense so frequently. Their offensive attack and lack of offensive rebounding often led to strong floor balance and solid defensive transition.

Can they keep that up in light of their new desired offensive approach?

Carter and Craig arrive with stellar defensive reputations. Caruso, who earned his first All-Defensive spot, isn’t going anywhere. Billy Donovan never seems to get enough credit for his defensive acumen. He now has coached five top-10 defenses in his eight years in the NBA.

If the Bulls can improve their offense and have their defense either even or only slightly below last season, good things could be in store.

Is this the season Patrick Williams breaks out?

If followers of the team had a dollar for every time somebody said, “is this the season Patrick Williams . . .” Oh wait, we already used that cliché.

But Williams’ potential contrasted with his bouts with passiveness stretch all the adjectives. On a guard-heavy roster, Williams must produce.

It’s telling that, in separate interviews, management figures essentially placed the onus for this season on Williams.

“I think it’s a really important year for Patrick, one as a player and two in our locker room to kind of complement (the core),” general manager Marc Eversley said in August during an appearance on the Bulls Talk Podcast. “We’ve talked a lot about people fitting in with (LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic). I think Patrick is going to be challenged with the same thing. But I think this year is the year where he really needs to step it up and figure it out.

“You talked about his 3-point shooting, up over 40 percent. He has shown flashes over the first three years. I want to see him show more instances of flashes, more consistency. He’s got it in him. A lot of that comes with growth off the court. And he’s starting to grow. He’s starting to get it. It’s starting to click. And when he puts it together, we might have something special.”

Williams played well in a reserve role after Donovan inserted Patrick Beverley and Caruso into the starting lineup after the All-Star break. Regardless his role, Williams needs to continue his growth as a two-way player and improve his rebounding.

Who will start?

In an appearance on WSCR-AM 670, Eversley and Artūras Karnišovas said point guard will be an open competition between Carter, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.

LaVine, DeRozan and Vučević are locks.

At power forward, Williams, Craig and Caruso are in the mix.

Assuming health, all of these players save for perhaps Dosunmu project to log heavy rotational minutes. The thing about Dosunmu is: Every time he seems to be counted out, he keeps coming at you. He’s relentless.

But Donovan and his coaching staff are loaded at guard and must find minutes for Carter, White, LaVine and Caruso, although the Bulls have used Caruso at power forward in the past.

The closing lineup may be more intriguing than the starting lineup. The Bulls possess a solid, 10-man rotation in Carter, LaVine, DeRozan, Williams, Vučević, Caruso, White, Craig, Dosunmu and Andre Drummond.

A big reason why the Bulls dropped from 46 to 40 wins last season is because of their poor record in clutch games, a contest that’s within five points with 5 minutes to play. They dropped from a 25-16 mark in 2021-22 in such games to 15-23 last season.

So Donovan’s closing lineup beyond LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic will be intriguing.

Every season is intriguing in its own fashion. Let the storylines begin to play out on Monday.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

On the same day that Bulls management talked about a training camp competition to decide the starting point guard, their Central Division rivals traded one All-Star point guard for another.

The full impact on the Bulls of the Milwaukee Bucks’ bold acquisition of Damian Lillard won’t be fully known until Jrue Holiday’s ultimate landing spot is determined. But suffice to say, the Bucks took a huge swing at appeasing superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo by trading Holiday—so instrumental to their 2021 NBA championship—to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

The Bucks, with or without Holiday, were going to be a serious contender for the Eastern Conference championship, assuming decent health. So from their perspective, acquiring Lillard is as much for Antetokounmpo’s future as this season.

But unless Holiday lands with the Miami Heat, this trade could have some minor positive benefits for the Bulls, who failed to exit the play-in tournament last season and are banking on continuity and the additions of Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig to help them ascend.

The Heat and Toronto Raptors both had designs on acquiring Lillard, a seven-time All-Star. Those are the teams the Bulls faced in the play-in tournament last season.

Obviously, the Heat’s rally in the waning minutes to beat the Bulls helped propel them to the NBA Finals, placing them in a different tier. But the Heat lost Max Strus and Gabe Vincent from that team and now didn’t land Lillard, although early speculation has them pursuing Holiday.

The Raptors—again—miss out on a potential game-changing talent via trade, which could help the Bulls’ playoff chances.

This view, obviously, is small-time and short-term stuff. The Bucks are making moves to keep their franchise centerpiece and generational talent happy and chase championships, while the Bulls are merely hoping to return to the playoffs.

The Bulls report to training camp next week with the same core of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic and, again, without Lonzo Ball. He is expected to miss his second straight full season following his third left knee surgery, creating the current point guard battle between Carter, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.

The Bulls held preliminary conversations with the Trail Blazers in July on Lillard, though sources at that time indicated they didn’t gain traction. While LaVine’s future continues to land in speculation, the Bulls don’t possess much draft capital and still owe the San Antonio Spurs a protected first-round pick in 2025 from the DeRozan acquisition.

The Bulls won’t have to wait long to view the new iteration of these new-look Bucks. They open preseason play in Milwaukee on Oct. 8.

Following the 2021-22 season, the Bucks showed how wide the gap between the two Central Division rivals stood with a five-game, first-round playoff victory. Holiday averaged 16.4 points, 6.8 assists and 5 rebounds along with his stellar perimeter defense in that series.

Should the teams meet again in the 2024 NBA playoffs, it’s notable that Lillard has averaged 25.7 points and 6.2 assists over 12 career playoff series. In a league filled with starpower, the Bucks took a big swing on Wednesday.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Chicago Bulls executives Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley visited the WSCR-AM 670 studio on Wednesday and said the starting point guard will be determined by a training camp competition.

“I think it’s going to be competition, fierce competition. It’s going to be a lot of good guards,” Karnišovas told The Score hosts Dan Bernstein, Laurence Holmes and Leila Rahimi. “That’s mentality we’re going into training camp (with.) I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be hard for (coach) Billy (Donovan).”

Management received a verbal commitment from Jevon Carter and re-signed White on the opening night of free agency. Later in the offseason, Dosunmu, who held the position last season until Patrick Beverley arrived via the buyout market, re-signed.

The Bulls have said Lonzo Ball will miss his second straight season as he attempts a comeback from his troublesome left knee, leaving the position open.

Earlier this summer, in an appearance on NBC Sports Chicago’s Bulls Talk Podcast, Eversley detailed what made Carter attractive to the Bulls.

“He brings toughness, grit, a competitive spirit to our group that we felt we needed to address. And we’ve done that,” Eversley told NBC Sports Chicago. “Not to mention, he’s a 40 percent 3-point shooter. We’ve talked a lot about adding shooting.”

Indeed, shooting and having a more cohesive group served as central themes of management’s appearance on The Score. The Bulls were the only team in the NBA last season not to attempt at least 30 3-point attempts per game.

“We were lowest 3-point rate, lowest 3-pointers made last year. We’re trying to change our shooting profile and play a little faster, move the ball better,” Karnišovas said on The Score. “Playing a little faster is going to create more 3-point attempts because a lot of 3-point attempts created in our league are on the fast break. Those are open 3s. The way you create 3s is you gotta run or you gotta get to the paint. We didn’t do a very good job last year getting to the paint.”

Adding Torrey Craig in free agency as well as Carter also could help the Bulls’ 3-point shooting. Those and second-round pick Julian Phillips are the only two additions to a team that will be headed to Nashville, Tenn., next week for training camp.

The Bulls haven’t held training camp outside of Chicago since Jerry Krause’s first season as general manager when the franchise traveled to Beloit College in Wisconsin.

“Everybody’s together,” Eversley said on The Score. “We’re going to go to practice together. We’re going to eat together. We’re going to have team functions together. We’re going to program the week so they do everything together. From Day One, find a common purpose and build up from that.

“I thought we had a pretty good run last year from the All-Star break. We were 14-9, incredible comeback against Toronto in the play-in game, up five late against Miami. And we all saw what Miami did. And so it kind of speaks to the parity that Artūras is talking about.

“But what we learned from our team when we had our exit interviews was they were a team but they didn’t really feel like a team. It’s almost like you just show up, you go to work, you go home and you show up the next day. They love to play. And our coaches love to coach. We were a team, but they didn’t feel like they were really a team. That is something to us that was important to us in the offseason to address. And we’re addressing it from Day One when we get to Nashville.”

With a point guard competition beginning then as well.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

The Chicago Bulls have been loosely linked to the Portland Trail Blazers’ icon for months, with NBC Sports Chicago’s Bulls Insider K.C. Johnson reporting in July that the teams held preliminary talks that gained little traction. Last week, PHLY_Sports had a podcast on which one of its participants said the Bulls “might be trying to move LaVine as part of a multi-team deal just to see if they can get into the Lillard sweepstakes.”

But on last week’s Bulls Talk Podcast, Johnson said most executives he had spoken to around the league pointed to the Toronto Raptors as a more likely landing sport if a deal is consummated before camp.

On Monday, Andscape and ESPN Senior NBA Writer Marc Spears echoed that stance, while adding that “the Chicago thing is kinda waning a little bit.”

Lillard’s preference all along has been to be traded to the Miami Heat. But multiple reports have indicated that the Trail Blazers have had little to no communication with the franchise since July. Instead, Portland has talked to other teams, including the Bulls, as they ponder the franchise’s next move in advance of a rebuild centered around rookie Scoot Henderson and other intriguing young talent.

While a mere phone call can change courses quickly in this type of landscape, the Bulls are preparing for training camp as if their roster is set after adding Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig in free agency and re-signing free agents Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. The Bulls have heavily featured LaVine on their social media account of late, which featured a team-bonding trip to Guaranteed Rate Field for a softball game.

LaVine has landed in trade rumors consistently throughout his Bulls’ tenure, and Johnson has reported on the growing skepticism within the league that he will finish his five-year deal in Chicago. But for now, it’s more likely than not that LaVine will return for a widely anticipated 2023-24 season.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

The NBA Board of Governors on Wednesday passed a Player Participation Policy, aimed to limit excessive load management and ensure star players appear in nationally televised and in-season tournament games.

To which Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic collectively shrugged—symbolically, of course. The Bulls’ current and former All-Stars, collectively, long have yawned at the idea of load management.

“I hate missing games,” DeRozan said during the 2021-22 season after a late-season game in which, indeed, the coaching staff finally convinced him to take off one game.

Vucevic is coming off playing all 82 games for the first time in his 12-year career but has played 73 or more games six times.

DeRozan has two 82-game seasons, one 80-game and 10 seasons of at least 74 games over his 14-game career.

And LaVine not only played through a knee injury during a contract season in 2021-22 but played a career-high 2,768 minutes over 77 games last season and didn’t miss a game from November to April following an early-season maintenance plan to address his offseason left knee surgery.

You can dissect the pros and cons of the Bulls’ Big Three from sunup to sundown. But the trio scores unassailably high marks for availability and desire to play.

“I’ve missed enough games already,” LaVine said early in his Bulls’ tenure.

This is a nod to LaVine overcoming a February 2017 left ACL tear, which made his decision to play through his nagging left knee pain—during a 2021-22 contract season—as the Bulls chased their first playoff berth in five years all the more admirable.

DeRozan, who turned 34 last month, actually qualifies for one exception and almost two because of his age and career workload. While he by one year misses the exception of being 35 on opening night, his 1,031 career games and 35.471 career minutes allow him to receive a pre-approved miss of a back-to-back game as long as the Bulls apply a week prior to the game.

But given how much DeRozan resisted the organization’s attempts to get him to take one game off late in the 2021-22 season until he finally acquiesced, it’s a safe bet this loophole goes unused. DeRozan also played through a nagging thigh injury last season.

The NBA already had instituted a minimum games played requirement for players to be eligible for most valuable player, All-NBA, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player or All-Defensive team honors. Players need to appear in at least 65 games or have played in at least 62 and 85 percent of his team’s games before suffering a season-ending injury.

So participation and curbing the practice of star players missing games is top of mind in the league offices.

Last season, Luka Dončić missed the Dallas Mavericks’ lone trip to the United Center with a strained right quadriceps, leaving a wake of crestfallen fans wearing his jersey disappointed. While Dončić’s minor injury would’ve precluded this new policy from applying to him, seeing those disappointed fans is a reminder of the impact these stars can have.

It’s what made Michael Jordan’s awareness so great. He wouldn’t even take off preseason games, some played in remote, neutral sites, because he understood the obligation of appearing for fans.

That was a different era, one where star players routinely logged 82-game seasons. In this era of load management, the approach of LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic should be lauded.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

According to a press release — and Benny the Bull — single-game tickets for all 2023-24 Chicago Bulls regular season home games will go on sale beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday.

The Bulls’ first home game takes place Wednesday Oct. 25, against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The season includes six City Edition games and more than 20 theme nights, the release said. City Edition jersey designs will be released at a later date, a spokesperson said.

Single-game tickets can be purchased at Bulls.com/tickets, or by calling 312-455-4000.

Rose, who became the youngest most valuable player in NBA history following the 2010-11 season with the Bulls, married Alaina Anderson, whom he proposed to in October 2021 on the floor of Madison Square Garden. The couple is notoriously private but has been publicly linked since 2016 and have had two children together.

Some reports have suggested the couple previously married in a private ceremony in February 2018, so it’s unclear if this was merely a formal recognition of that day or a newly legal binding ceremony.

Rose created headlines in July 2022 when his former Bulls teammate and close friend Joakim Noah got married in Brazil, playing unofficial wedding photographer. Noah attended Thursday’s small ceremony and had a role in the wedding.

Rose, 34, signed with the Memphis Grizzlies during the offseason. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft is entering his 16th NBA season and has earned leaguewide respect for overcoming myriad knee injuries to endure.

When he visited the United Center last season, where he routinely draws standing ovations as a visiting player, he grew eloquent when talking about his basketball mortality.

“Who knows how many years I’m going to continue to play?” he said in December 2022. “It’s a lot of things I’m looking forward to doing. But right now, I’m still invested in basketball. So that’s where I’m giving my everything.

“I got pictures from (my son, P.J.) and Kobe (Bryant) here, everything. The book that we’re going to look back at and all the pictures, it’s going to be something to really cry about. We maxed out in every area while we were here. Basketball, talking to the fans. We were showing professionalism when we were here with that group.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

In a departure, the Chicago Bulls will hold their first week of training camp at a remote site, Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

The team announced on Wednesday plans that have been in the works for months. Following Media Day at the Advocate Center on Oct. 2, the team will hold five days of practice in Nashville, a destination picked with input from players and coaches and finalized by management.

Other NBA teams choose this route of holding a portion of training camp remotely. Previous executive vice president John Paxson flirted with the idea several times back when the Bulls practiced at the Berto Center in suburban Deerfield, Ill., coming close to holding camp in Colorado one time.

In 1985, under Jerry Krause and with reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Jordan, the Bulls trained at Beloit College in Beloit, Wis.

Current executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas, head coach Billy Donovan and select players will address the media in Chicago on Oct. 2 before the team flies to Tennessee.

Following the fifth day of practice in Nashville, the Bulls will fly back to the Midwest for their preseason opener on Oct. 8 in Milwaukee against the Bucks.

The Bulls will then hold the remainder of their training camp at the Advocate Center, including the home preseason opener against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Oct. 12. The Bulls have a five-game preseason schedule.

Training camp will feature two intriguing position battles at point guard and power forward. Newcomers Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig are in the mix to start at both positions, battling Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams.

Depth projects to be a strong suit for the 2023-24 Bulls, with Donovan and his staff owning myriad opportunities with a potential 10-player rotation of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Caruso, White, Williams, Carter, Craig, Dosunmu and Andre Drummond.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Training camp begins next month. Barring an unexpected move, the Chicago Bulls’ roster is set.

But management’s work never ends.

And DeMar DeRozan is eligible for a contract extension.

“His first two years here, he’s been terrific. He’s been probably one or two of our best players, All-NBA. He continues to work at a rate that you would want a veteran to work at,” general manager Marc Eversley said last month during an appearance on the Bulls Talk Podcast. “We talked to him (in August)—(coach) Billy (Donovan), AK (executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas) and I—just about the season, the outlook, what are our goals and what we’re looking to accomplish. He’s completely aligned with what we want to do.

“He’s the ultimate leader, the ultimate teammate. He takes all the young guys under his wing. He’s been terrific.”

So how much is that worth? And is re-signing DeRozan the most prudent path forward for the organization?

Whether or not the Bulls overpaid to acquire DeRozan, parting with draft capital on top of signing him to a three-year, $82 million deal, it’s indisputable that DeRozan’s play has made the financial part of the contract reasonable.

DeRozan has averaged 26.2 points, 5 assists and 4.9 rebounds over his two seasons in Chicago. He has made two All-Star teams and earned one All-NBA designation. He has shot 50.4 percent and proved durable, playing in 150 games, all starts.

Beyond numbers, his quiet leadership and ability to take young players under his wing has resonated throughout the organization. Having turned 34 last month, his work ethic and old-school, midrange game suggest his NBA life will age gracefully.

From his perspective, coming to the Bulls after a much-publicized dalliance with his hometown Los Angeles Lakers didn’t pan out has served as a renaissance for his potential Hall of Fame career.

“Man, Chicago’s been everything for me, honestly. I can’t even find the words of appreciation and love that this organization and these fans have given to me. Just allowing me to be me, allowing me to be the person I always knew I was careerwise and embracing it. It’s been amazing,” DeRozan said after the season ended. “It’s a hell of a story especially with the route I took being in San Antonio three years. Coming here and just kind of helping this organization and this city get back on the map.”

When the Bulls originally acquired DeRozan via that sign-and-trade transaction with the San Antonio Spurs, it appeared management viewed this roster iteration as a three-year window. Particularly with the way the Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso contracts are structured.

But since then, management has signed Zach LaVine to a maximum contract extension and re-signed Nikola Vucevic to a three-year, $60 million deal. They have doubled down on continuity.

Thus, given that they almost certainly will be operating as an over-the-cap team next offseason, a strong argument can be made to re-sign DeRozan. But at what price?

DeRozan is eligible for a four-year extension worth roughly $179 million. Given that he has outplayed his current deal on the court and represented the Bulls so professionally off it, his agent, Aaron Goodwin, would certainly be reasonable asking for that max.

But the Bulls, who value DeRozan extremely highly, are obviously under no obligation to sign him to that. His current deal represents roughly 21 percent of the salary cap. With the cap rising, an extension similar to the one Khris Middleton signed with the Bucks—three years, $102 million—would be roughly the same percentage of the salary cap.

Would that be enough for DeRozan? Or is there middle ground between the two?

If the Bulls were going to pivot off this core, the February 2023 trade deadline seemed like the ideal time to do so. Instead, the Bulls chased a play-in spot and then re-signed Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu this offseason.

It’s not like letting DeRozan walk after this season makes the Bulls flush with salary cap space. Re-signing him to a deal that aligns with the life of Vucevic’s contract is one path. Waiting to see how the Bulls are faring between now and the February 2024 deadline is another.

Stay tuned. Management’s work never ends.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

In his strongest remarks to date about his playing future, Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball insisted he will return to the basketball court.

“I’m going to play again,” Ball said Saturday.

Ball spoke at Invest Fest in Atlanta, dubbed “the world’s biggest business festival” and filled with speakers from the worlds of music, investment and entertainment. According to a release from the event promoters, Ball spoke about “the cultural impact of Big Baller Brand” as well as his “journey as a child star and managing expectations.”

But the most important words for Bulls fans came when he was asked on stage about his NBA future. Ball hasn’t played since January 2022, has endured three left knee surgeries including a cartilage transplant and has already been ruled out for the 2023-24 season.

“Life is not easy,” Ball said. “If you want to get the most out of it, you gotta put your best foot forward. If you’re going to get knocked down, you gotta get back up every time if you want to keep going. You can always quit and take the easy way out and pout and go to the side. But for me, if you’re trying to get to a place where I want to get to, you just gotta get back up, dust off and keep going.

“I’m going to play again.”

Ball has been in the headlines all week after talking optimistically about his future in an appearance on “From the Point by Trae Young” podcast. Those words then prompted a strong response from ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith and a back-and-forth between Ball and Smith when Smith claimed Ball couldn’t even rise out of a chair.

“The outside noise doesn’t bother me,” Ball said in Atlanta. “The Stephen A. thing, he has a wide platform. And to me, I just don’t appreciate when people put out fake news like that, especially someone of his stature that can touch a lot of people.

“For me, I know what I gotta do to get back. And I’m just on a path doing what I gotta do every day, taking it step-by-step. I don’t look too far ahead. I know in my near future that I will be back on the court for sure.”

Ball has a player option for the 2023-24 season. The Bulls have received a $10.2 million disabled player exception for this season because both the team and Ball have said he won’t play. However, the Bulls are right at the luxury tax threshold of $165.3 million with two non-guaranteed contracts in Carlik Jones and Terry Taylor and can’t exceed the hard cap of $172.3 million.

But that’s the financial stuff for this season. The most intriguing aspect is Ball’s potential return for the 2023-24 season, one which the guard is obviously quite confident he can make.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Who is inside the costume performing such staples as the spilled popcorn trick and the over-the-head halfcourt shot is another story, depending on who’s talking.

And Benny isn’t talking.

“There is only one Benny the Bull,” said Patrick Sandusky, the Chicago Bulls’ vice president, communications. “Unfortunately, Benny is unable to comment, because he cannot talk.”

That’s a clever and lighthearted way to respond to an X post from Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) and confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago by two sources that the popular mascot will have a new performer inside the costume. One source said the previous performer left the organization on his own choosing and on good terms and his replacement is coming from another NBA team.

Benny the Bull debuted in 1969 and entered the Mascot Hall of Fame—yes, there is one—in 2017. He is a regular at such big events as the NBA All-Star game.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Last year, DeMar DeRozan appeared on “The Old Man and The Three” podcast and gave the largely unheralded Torrey Craig some flowers.

“I give him top-two players in the league that defends me the best,” DeRozan said on the podcast.

And indeed, Craig displayed his tenaciousness during a Jan. 31, 2021 matinee between the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers. That’s two teams ago for Craig, who starred in a supplemental role for the Phoenix Suns last season and now is DeRozan’s teammate on the Bulls.

But that day, Craig relentlessly hounded DeRozan, picking him up fullcourt, fighting over screens to limit his space, contesting his shots. DeRozan had shot just 7-for-23 when he gathered the ball for the final possession of a one-point game, including 4-for-12 in direct matchups versus Craig.

And then DeRozan sank a 27-foot, one-legged, game-winning 3-pointer over Craig’s contest at the buzzer. Ballgame.

“If you watched that game, I think was playing some of the best defense,” Craig said in an appearance on the Bulls Talk Podcast. “When he made that shot off one leg, you can’t do nothing but just pat him on the back and say, ‘Good shot.’ That’s how it is.

“Great players make great plays. And he’s one of those players who made a great shot. And then he backed it up with another game-winner the following night. So I didn’t feel so bad about it after that one.”

Indeed, DeRozan became the first player in NBA history to sink game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointers on consecutive days, performing more magic the next night in Washington to beat the Wizards.

Craig said he’s happy to be DeRozan’s teammate now and appreciated the respect he showed him when he made his comment to JJ Redick on Redick’s popular podcast.

“It means a lot. He’s a great player,” Craig said. “Him saying that is a level of respect. I admire guys like that.”

And then that relentlessness flashed again.

“I wonder who the first (top defender) was,” Craig said, laughing. “I’m going to ask him.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

NBA teams typically go as far as their starpower takes them.

But that doesn’t mean this isn’t an important season for forward Patrick Williams. In fact, during his appearance on the Bulls Talk Podcast from Bulls Fest outside the United Center over the weekend, Bulls general manager Marc Eversley detailed what he wants to see from the fourth-year forward.

“He has shown flashes over the first three years. I want to see him show more instances of flashes, more consistent,” Eversley said on the podcast. “He’s got it in him. A lot of that comes with growth off of the court. And I can tell you he’s starting to grow. He’s starting to get it. It’s starting to click. And when he puts it together—and he will put it together—we might have something special.”

Williams played all 82 games for the first time last season, averaging in double figures also for the first time. That he played all 82 games carried even more weight after he lost most of his second season to wrist surgery. Williams also shot 41.5 percent as he pushed his 3-point attempts over 3 per game for the first time in his young career, averaging 3.4.

But some of Williams’ impact came when coach Billy Donovan moved him to the second unit to pair with Coby White. Williams started 65 games, but Donovan inserted Alex Caruso at power forward after the Bulls added veteran Patrick Beverley from the buyout market.

Time will tell if Donovan and his staff continue to utilize the chemistry that Williams and White enjoyed in reserve roles. But as the fourth overall pick and up for an extension of his rookie contract, Williams at some point may need to make consistent impact as a starter.

Before he moved into a reserve role, Williams said he became more comfortable figuring out how to stay aggressive playing alongside stars in Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. But if Donovan and his staff choose to start Williams this season, that education needs to continue.

“I think it’s a really important year for Patrick, one as a player and two as somebody in our locker room to kind of complement those guys. We’ve talked a lot about people fitting in with those three. I think Patrick is going to be challenged with the same thing,” Eversley said. “But I think this year is the year where he really needs to step it up and figure it out.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball confirmed he will miss his second straight season but talked optimistically about returning to the court in an appearance on the “From the Point by Trae Young” podcast.

Ball, who hasn’t played in an NBA game since January 14, 2022, underwent a cartilage transplant in March, his third left knee surgery since signing a four-year, $80 million deal with the Bulls.

“Just taking it day by day, bro. I just had a really big surgery—hopefully, the last one I ever have to get. It’s a long process. I’m already out this whole next season,” Ball said on the podcast. “When I first got hurt, we didn’t really know what it was. I was seeing all type of different doctors and stuff. I was just kind of going up and down. That was really hard for me because I just didn’t know what the next day was going to be like. At least now, I got the surgery. We got a plan moving forward. We’ve been on plan. I’m on track. Hopefully, everything works out. I just leave it up to God and do the best I can and live with the results.”

The Bulls led the Eastern Conference for much of Ball’s first half season in Chicago. But they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in a 2022 first-round playoff matchup and then failed to exit the play-in tournament last season.

“It’s going to be a big what if. For me, I feel bad just for the GM because I feel like they made the perfect team around me. And I felt like that was the most I’ve ever been involved in an organization. And I finally got the perfect team to fit my game and play my way and really just do what I wanted to do,” Ball said on the podcast. “That injury—I’m still going through it right now—that one messed me up early just because I felt like we really had a chance and never got to see what it was.”

Young asked Ball if he’ll have a greater appreciation for basketball when he does return.

“Nah, man. I think I play hoop the same way my whole life, bro. I always just love playing basketball. So it’s basically just something that got taken away from me,” Ball said. “It’s going to be a whole new joy again. I’m gonna be hella happy to be back out there. I ain’t never took the game for granted. For me, it’s just like getting your love back for sure.

“I wish I never got injured to be honest. I wouldn’t want to come back. But that’s just what’s in front of me. And I just gotta tackle it head on. And whenever that time comes, I’m going to be blessed to be back out there doing what I love. The mindset is going to stay the same, go out there and play for my team and be the best person I can be.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Chicago Bulls management made no secret of its desire to double down on its core, which it did by re-signing Nikola Vučević, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.

But it also added Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig in free agency, two veterans whom the franchise believes will add defense, shooting and toughness.

“He wears a different pride on his chest being from Chicago. Looking forward to seeing him put that jersey on right in the United Center,” general manager Marc Eversley said of Carter, who attended Proviso East High School. “He brings toughness, grit. He brings a competitive spirit to our group that we felt we needed to address. And we’ve done that. Not to mention he’s a 40 percent 3-point shooter. We talked a lot about adding shooting. He kind of checks all those boxes for us.

“Torrey has versatility defensively. He’s a wing defender but he can also guard down or he can guard up. Also shot in the high 30s from 3. And he brings a defensive mindset that I’m sure Billy (Donovan) and the coaching staff are going to use every single night. The defensive versatility he provides for us is going to be beneficial to us through 82 games and hopefully into a playoff run.”

Eversley spoke during an appearance on the Bulls Talk Podcast, taped on Saturday outside the United Center as the franchise’s second annual Bulls Fest played out around him.

Carter is a career 39.7 percent 3-point shooter who connected at 42.1 percent over 81 games for the Milwaukee Bucks last season.

Craig shot a career-high 39.5 percent from 3-point range while appearing in a career-high 79 games for the Phoenix Suns, including 60 starts.

Both players are considered plus-defenders. And when the Bulls have experienced success over the past two seasons, it has featured surrounding Vucevic, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan with shooting, defense and high IQ veterans.

The 2021-22 Bulls led the Eastern Conference for the first half of the season while starting Lonzo Ball and Javonte Green alongside the three centerpiece players. Last season’s underwhelming campaign did feature a 14-9 finish when Patrick Beverley arrived via the buyout market and started with Alex Caruso alongside Vučević, LaVine and DeRozan.

“We’ve talked a lot about surrounding those three with guys who can complement them,” Eversley said. “When Lonzo was healthy, when Javonte Green was healthy, it’s that type of player that we’ve looked to address to bring back into the program. And I think we’ve done that.

“We’re not that far off. There’s lots to build on from last year. We really like our core group. I think we addressed some things this summer that we wanted to. And we’re looking forward to training camp.”

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Any time Chicago Bulls management fielded a question about its desire to retain its main pending free agents, the answer remained consistent.

We want to re-sign them.

Artūras Karnišovas, Marc Eversley and their staff then put their money where their mouths were, re-signing Nikola Vučević, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu even as they added newcomers Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig in free agency.

In an appearance on the Bulls Talk Podcast taped on Saturday outside the United Center as the franchise’s second annual Bulls Fest played out around him, Eversley detailed why the franchise sought to retain each player and predicted success for each.

“I’m excited for Vooch,” Eversley said on the podcast. “There’s not many starting centers in the NBA. So if Vooch were to go away, how would you replace him? Those options were just not appealing to us. So retaining him became the No. 1 goal of the offseason.”

Indeed, the Bulls utilized their exclusive negotiating period to re-sign Vučević to a three-year, $60 million deal before the 12-year veteran hit unrestricted free agency.

Vučević, who turns 33 the day before the Oct. 25 season opener, played all 82 games last season for the first time. He averaged 17.6 points, 11 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the second straight season, this time shooting 52 percent overall and 34.9 percent from 3-point range.

As for White, the Bulls reached a verbal agreement on the opening night of free agency on a three-year deal worth $36 million that could increase to $40 million if incentives are reached.

White, 23, averaged a career-low 9.7 points last season but drew almost universal praise for authoring the most completely season of his four-year career.

“Coby White had I thought a terrific year last year. I think the growth he has shown over the last three years has been second to nobody on the roster,” Eversley said. “I think his ability to shoot (and) he’s much more comfortable handling it now. He doesn’t get pressured or panic anymore.

“He has found his voice in the locker room. He has become a quiet leader. We’ve seen growth and development from him. And that’s why it was critical to bring him back.”

When the Bulls also reached verbal agreement with Carter on the opening night of free agency, Dosunmu’s future with his hometown franchise seemed in jeopardy on a guard-heavy roster. Instead, the restricted free agent signed a three-year, $21 million deal as a depth and development piece as the salary cap continues to climb.

“Ayo, obviously, a Chicago kid (has) a different pride wearing a Bulls uniform,” Eversley said. “He was kind of thrust into it his rookie year, started a bunch of games. He was leaned on heavily last year and started a bunch of games as well.

“He would not argue with me; he didn’t have quite the second year he thought he might’ve. Call it a sophomore slump. But we’ve seen him in the Advocate Center and how hard he has worked from the end of the season to today and there’s nothing but good things that are going to happen to him.”

Dosunmu’s averages of 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists closely resembled those from his rookie season, when he earned second-team All-Rookie honors. But his 3-point shooting dropped from 37.6 to 31.2 percent, a focal point for his offseason work.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Jevon Carter won’t have to wait long to face his former team.

The recently signed Chicago Bulls guard will travel to Milwaukee to face the Bucks on October 8 in the opener of a five-game preseason schedule released by the franchise on Monday.

The game tips off at noon Central time in an unconventional start against Giannis Antetokounmpo and company at Fiserv Forum. The game also marks the first game for former Bull and former Bulls assistant coach Adrian Griffin in his new role as head coach.

Later that week, the Bulls begin a home-and-away series against the NBA champion Denver Nuggets with an October 12 game at the United Center. Another new Bull, Torrey Craig, will get the chance to face one of his former teams twice when the Bulls travel to Denver for the rematch on October 15 at Ball Arena.

Who knows how much Nikola Jokić will play in those games, but it’s a chance for executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas to see his former team.

The Bulls then close out their preseason schedule with home games against the Toronto Raptors on October 17 and the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 19.

Coach Billy Donovan has Carter and Craig to plug into his rotation that is expected to feature seven familiar faces in Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vučević, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, Coby White and Andre Drummond. The preseason also typically is a time for young players to get minutes, so look for Dalen Terry and draft-night acquisition Julian Phillips to play.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

NBA Summer League is a job interview. And for fringe players, it’s not just for the team whose uniform they’re wearing but for all 30 in the league.

And so who knows if Javon Freeman-Liberty will turn his sizzling, three-game showing into a contract with the Chicago Bulls, which could have a two-way spot available. But the Whitney Young High School and DePaul product (by way of a transfer from Valparaiso) is doing all he can to live out his NBA dream somewhere.

The Bulls are 2-1 following Tuesday night’s late victory over the Sacramento Kings. Through three games, Freeman-Liberty is averaging a team-high 21.3 points on sublime 53.7 percent shooting, including an impressive 46.7 percent from 3-point range on 5 attempts per game. He’s also tied for the team lead with 5 assists per game.

Freeman-Liberty also played summer league for the Bulls last season after going undrafted and then averaged 18.4 points in 17 games for the Windy City Bulls in the G League last season. In those games, he also displayed a reliable outside shot, connecting at 49.8 percent overall and 37.6 percent from 3-point range.

The nephew of Marcus Liberty, the former Illinois high school legend, University of Illinois standout and Denver Nuggets’ second-round pick in 1990, Freeman-Liberty has displayed a fearlessness and confidence offensively that has permeated the team.

“All my life I’ve been fighting to get here and I feel I’m still not (there),” Freeman-Liberty told Bulls.com reporter Sam Smith last week in Las Vegas. “So I’ve still got that chip on my shoulder, motivated each and every day to come in and compete.”

The Bulls face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday in their next summer league contest. Look for Freeman-Liberty to stay aggressive.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.