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Central Notes: Bulls, Cavs, Thompson, Pacers

October 17th, 2023 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

The starting lineup has received more attention this fall, but the Bulls are also still determining which players will make up their closing lineup, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes. While it seems safe to assume that Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, at least, will be part of those groups, head coach Billy Donovan suggested that different end-of-game scenarios might call for different looks.

“We have a lot of guys that can finish in certain situations,” Donovan said. “Theoretically, you’re up by five points with maybe 20 seconds to go, maybe you decide to go all defense in that situation. The last five minutes of the game, based on who the other team has out there, maybe we feel we have guys that have guarded a guy particularly well. So I do feel we have some versatility certainly defensively, to play a number of guys closing a game.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • The Cavaliers‘ starting lineup on Monday – in a game its five regular starters sat – could provide a glimpse at what the team’s second unit will look like when the season begins, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Ty Jerome, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Damian Jones made up the team’s replacement starting five, with Georges Niang and Emoni Bates as the first two players off the bench.
  • Pistons rookie Ausar Thompson, whose defensive ability may earn him a starting job, relishes the idea of becoming the club’s perimeter stopper, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “That’s the most exciting thing for me, that they trust me to go out and guard those guys,” Thompson said after matching up with Devin Booker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Detroit’s first two preseason games. “I’ve always believed those are the guys I want and now those are the guys who are going to make me better and learn more.”
  • Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle pushed back on Monday against the idea that his starting lineup is settled, telling reporters that Bruce Brown, Bennedict Mathurin, and Obi Toppin need reps alongside Tyrese Haliburton before any final decisions are made, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Haliburton missed the Pacers’ first two preseason games, but looked good as part of the new-look starting five on Monday vs. Atlanta, expressing enthusiasm about the pace that Indiana’s tentative starters can play with. “With Obi and Benn and Bruce, those are guys that can really get up and down the floor,” Haliburton said. “… As long as we get stops and rebound, not many people are going to beat us up and down the floor.”
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Central Notes: LaVine, White, Ivey, Sasser, Pacers

October 16th, 2023 at 10:53pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Bulls guard Zach LaVine is optimistic about his health heading into the season, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes. LaVine was being held out of several early back-to-backs last season, including the season opener against the Heat.

Outside of Lonzo Ball, this might be the healthiest the Bulls have been since Arturas Karnisovas assembled the core of the roster in 2021, Cowley writes. Now, LaVine and others are aiming for an improved season.

“I’m in shape; I’m not rehabbing, so you’re not second-guessing things,” LaVine said. “I feel like myself, like I did from December on. I had a full offseason. It’s always good to come into camp in shape and not have any extra ailments.”

LaVine averaged 26 points on 50.7% shooting after December 2 compared to 20.9 points on 40.9% shooting before that point last season, as Cowley notes.

Cowley also writes the Bulls are still experimenting with what works for them in head coach Billy Donovan‘s new-look offense, including potential lineups. All indications are Coby White won the starting point guard position over Ayo Dosunmu and Jevon Carter, Cowley adds.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Pistons coach Monty Williams faces several difficult decisions as the season draws near, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes. Edwards predicts the starting lineup to be Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Bojan Bogdanovic, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, with Jaden Ivey notably coming off the bench. Edwards points out Ivey hasn’t started in the preseason yet and Thompson has impressed on the defensive end, which has been an emphasis for Detroit.
  • Rookie guard Marcus Sasser is pushing for a rotation spot with his play in the preseason, per Edwards and Omari Sankofa II of Detroit Free Press. Sasser had 17 points and eight assists in an October 12 preseason game against the Thunder. “He’s a guy that plays with a great edge,” Williams said. “He competes every single day, in practice. He understands with me that if you compete and defend, you’ll find yourself on the floor. That’s what you’re seeing with him.“
  • Pacers rookie Ben Sheppard is making an impact in the preseason and saw run with the second unit in the team’s Monday preseason game against the Hawks, Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar details. “Sheppard is playing a mature game for a rookie,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He is older. He did play four years [of college basketball at Belmont] and it shows. But he understands what we need of him. … He’s a little bit like Buddy [Hield]. He’s doing a lot of good things.” Dopirak also notes Jalen Smith and T.J. McConnell are standing out and pushing for rotation spots.
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Bulls Waive Quenton Jackson

October 16th, 2023 at 10:45am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls have announced (via Twitter) that shooting guard Quenton Jackson has been placed on waivers.

Jackson signed with the team in September after the Wizards released him in July. He appeared in nine games with Washington last season, spending most of the year in the G League, where he averaged 15.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 29 regular season contests.

Jackson went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2022 and was in training camp with the Wizards before the start of the season. He rejoined the team in February on a two-year, two-way contract.

The Exhibit 10 deal that Jackson signed with the Bulls gives him the opportunity to earn a bonus of up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the team’s Windy City G League affiliate.

The move leaves Chicago with three openings on its 21-man offseason roster.

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Bulls Notes: Dosunmu, Terry, Phillips, Craig

October 14th, 2023 at 7:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

When Bulls coach Billy Donovan opened camp by placing an emphasis on offensive rebounding, Ayo Dosunmu volunteered to be one of his “go-guys,” writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Go-guys” are the ones who will hit the boards on missed shots, as Donovan pushes the team to improve after finishing 28th in the league in offensive rebounds last season.

“You either have the chance to be a ‘get-back’ guy, get back on the shot, or a ‘go-guy’ and crash offensive rebounds,’’ Dosunmu explained. “I just think that being a ‘go-guy’ will give us the chance to have more opportunities in offensive rebounds. I have a knack to go get the ball.’’

The third-year guard is looking for a way to carve out playing time in a crowded backcourt after re-signing with Chicago this summer. He pulled down three of the team’s 26 offensive boards in Thursday’s win against Denver.

“When the defense is set and you get caught playing in the mid-range, generally it’s man-on-man and it’s really hard to rebound from those spots, so I give Ayo a lot of credit,” Donovan said. “He took a lot of ownership in being a guy that wanted to go to the glass. We need guys to have that kind of mentality.’’

There’s more on the Bulls:

  • Donovan is encouraging recent draft picks Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips to remain patient as they wait for playing time, Cowley adds. Terry, a first-round pick in 2022, and Phillips, a second-rounder this year, don’t appear to have a path to the rotation, but Donovan said things can change quickly. “I don’t like necessarily passing judgment on what will happen when the season starts because a lot of people felt that Ayo wouldn’t have gotten a lot of playing time his rookie year,’’ Donovan said. “Then with the injuries to Alex (Caruso) and Lonzo (Ball) a huge hole opened up. I think it’s the responsibility of all of us to keep those guys working and keep them ready, help them get better.”
  • Torrey Craig came to Chicago in free agency after spending last season with a Phoenix team that was expected to be a title contender. The Bulls aren’t viewed in that category after missing the playoffs, but Craig tells K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago that there’s enough talent on hand to surprise the league. “We have defenders. We have scorers. We have shooters. We have a great coaching staff,” Craig said. “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.”
  • Donovan is also emphasizing three-point shooting, Johnson states in a separate story. After being the only team not to reach at least 30 long-range shots in any game last season, the Bulls have topped that mark in both of their preseason contests.
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Bulls Waive Henri Drell, Max Heidegger

October 13th, 2023 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have cut a pair of players from their preseason roster, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve waived forward Henri Drell and guard Max Heidegger. Chicago, which had a full 21-man roster, now has two open spots available.

Drell, 23, has spent the last two seasons playing for the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League affiliate. He didn’t have a major role in 2021/22, but became a starter last season, averaging 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 31.3 minutes per night (29 regular season games). He posted a shooting line of .486/.341/.750.

Heidegger, 26, has been playing professionally in Europe since going undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara in 2020, spending team with teams in Israel, Germany, Turkey, and Spain over the last three seasons. He was a lights-out three-point shooter during his college career, making 44.0% of 568 total attempts from beyond the arc, including 67-of-125 (53.6%) as a senior.

Neither Drell nor Heidegger saw much action in the Bulls’ first two preseason games — they each logged five minutes in the team’s opener vs. Milwaukee on Sunday, then didn’t play on Thursday vs. Denver.

In all likelihood, both Drell and Heidegger will join the Windy City Bulls, where they’ll earn Exhibit 10 bonuses worth $75K apiece, assuming they spend at least 60 days with the G League club.

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Bulls Notes: White, DeRozan, LaVine, Craig, Lewis

October 10th, 2023 at 10:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Coby White, who is battling for the starting point guard spot, has emerged as a vocal leader for the Bulls, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. He previously deferred to more experienced players but now feels comfortable voicing his opinion.

“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,’” he said. “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.”

We have more on the Bulls:

  • Jamal Collier of ESPN hears from sources that the extension talks the front office has had with DeMar DeRozan have been “preliminary.” Bulls head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas confirmed at the start of training camp that he has spoken to DeRozan’s agent Aaron Goodwin about a new deal for his client. DeRozan will be an unrestricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension.
  • In the same story, Zach LaVine says his reps aren’t behind the trade rumors that have persisted even after he signed an extension last year. “My camp isn’t putting them out,” LaVine said. “I committed to the Bulls when I signed my five-year deal. So until I’m not, I’m committed to the Bulls. I’ve always brought professionalism and consistent play, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
  • Patrick Williams started at power forward during the preseason opener, but newcomer Torrey Craig showed what he could bring to the table when he came off the bench, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes. He made aggressive offensive moves to the basket and also relentlessly attacked the glass at both ends. “It’s a lot of different things you can do to impact winning. I always tell people that,” Craig said. “It’s a million things you can do to impact winning, whether it’s getting deflections, offensive rebounding, blocking shots, getting steals, making threes, making the hustle plays, 50-50 plays, being a good teammate on the bench, being a (good) locker room guy. … But I think it goes unnoticed because this league is based off talent and big-number guys.” Craig left Phoenix and signed a two-year contract as a free agent in July.
  • Justin Lewis is still trying to settle in after recovering from an ACL tear suffered in August 2022, he told Ben Steele of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I still feel like I need some game reps,” Lewis said. “I feel like I’m getting better day by day. Just learning everything. Plays, defensive strategy, offensive strategy. I feel like I’ll keep progressing as the season goes. As I keep playing.” Lewis, who was undrafted in 2022 out of Marquette, signed a two-year, two-way contract in March.
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Bulls Notes: White, Williams, Caruso, Vucevic, Terry

October 9th, 2023 at 1:40pm CST by Rory Maher

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has publicly stated that the starting point guard position is up for grabs between Coby White, Jevon Carter and Ayo Dosunmu. However, in the team’s preseason opener against Milwaukee on Sunday, White got the starting nod and played well, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

White finished with 14 points (on 6-of-10 shooting), six rebounds, six assists and two steals in 23 minutes, Johnson notes. The seventh pick of the 2019 draft, White re-signed with the Bulls this summer as a restricted free agent, inking a three-year, $36MM+ deal.

As Johnson writes in another story for NBC Sports Chicago, White once again focused on ball-handling and decision-making this summer as he transitions from being a score-first combo guard to a lead guard, and Donovan has taken note of the improvement.

“I noticed this summer when I went out in June to see him. He physically looked different. The ball looked to be a little bit more on a string for him,” Donovan said after the game. “I think his confidence with the ball has really grown.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

  • Forward Patrick Williams was the fifth starter alongside White, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, Johnson adds. Williams, who is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 23, was aggressive in looking for his shot, finishing with 13 points in 22 minutes, including going 3-of-6 from deep. Being consistently assertive is something the Bulls want to see from Williams, as is improving his rebounding; he only finished with two in the game, Johnson notes.
  • Donovan plans to be cautious with Alex Caruso in 2023/24, particularly in the preseason, due to his all-out playing style, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The veteran swingman has been limited to 108 regular season games over his first two seasons with the Bulls. Caruso, who earned a first-team All-Defense nod in ’22/23, played just seven minutes against the Bucks.
  • Despite having three offense-first All-Stars, the Bulls struggled to score last season, finishing 24th in offensive rating. One change they want to implement is running more actions through Vucevic to take advantage of his passing, according to Cowley. “The way our team is built, we need a change,” Vucevic said. “I think at times last year we got a little too predictable the way we were playing, and we became easy to guard. I think if we can throw different things at a defense, we’ll be tough to stop.”
  • Dalen Terry didn’t play much as a rookie, appearing in 38 games for an average of 5.6 minutes per night. That’s part of the reason why he was trying so hard and became frustrated with his poor Summer League showing, Cowley writes for The Sun-Times. While he might be on the outside looking in for minutes again entering year two, Terry says he’s going to trust his work ethic no matter what happens. “Last year, I was killing myself when it came down to [not getting playing time], but I didn’t trust my work,” he said. “If I have to be honest, I didn’t trust my work. When this season starts, and if I’m not in the rotation, OK, cool. Just keep going, keep working. It’s going to all turn out how you want it to turn out. That’s just how it’s gonna go.”
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Alex Caruso Discusses Starting Role, DPOY Dreams, Play-In Finish, More

October 8th, 2023 at 2:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls guard Alex Caruso offered some clarity about which position he prefers to play in an extensive conversation with K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.

“The power forward one is not my favorite,” Caruso, who started at both the point guard and power forward positions at various points last year, told Johnson. “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.”

Caruso addressed the possibility that he may not start games with the club this year.

“I’ve talked to (head coach) Billy (Donovan) and some of the assistants about being more selfish at times,” Caruso said. “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.”

Caruso, who made an All-Defensive First Team for the first time in his career last season, did not start in Chicago’s first preseason game on Sunday, a 105-102 loss to a Bucks team missing stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton.

Their entire chat is well worth reading in full. Here are some highlights:

Caruso on his next goals for end-of-season hardware:

“The way [Defensive Player of the Year] 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.”

On how the Bulls’ two big new signings, Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig, can positively impact the team:

“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 ball-handlers 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.”

On how he felt watching the Heat advance to the NBA Finals after narrowly beating Chicago during their play-in game:

“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 two-and-a-half, three 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.”

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2023/24 NBA Over/Unders: Central Division

October 8th, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2023/24 NBA regular season around the corner, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including Bovada and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2022/23, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’23/24?

We’ll keep our series going today with the Central Division…

Milwaukee Bucks

Cleveland Cavaliers

Indiana Pacers

Chicago Bulls

Detroit Pistons

Previous voting results:

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (52.0%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (44.5 wins): Over (53.1%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (44.5 wins): Under (53.6%)
  • Utah Jazz (35.5 wins): Over (55.5%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (28.5 wins): Under (50.9%)
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Central Notes: Lillard, Griffin, Morris, Thompson, Ball

October 6th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Point guard Damian Lillard is beginning to find his niche with the Bucks, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. While Lillard plans to do “a lot of listening” as he grows accustomed to a new environment, he says he’s already giving the younger players advice.

“I’ve just been coming in, introducing myself,” he said. “And I’m interacting with different guys so they can see, I’m not on ‘superstar time.’ And I think as I earn the respect of my teammates and everybody else, they respect what I say after that.

“But if something comes up that I’ve had (experience with), or something that I’ve, that I recognize is what’s in the best interest, I’m not afraid to be the person to say it. I’m not a guy that is going to hold back or second-guess what I have to say because I know that what I have to say comes from a good place at all time.”

New head coach Adrian Griffin is making an imprint as well, according to Goodwill, particularly on the defensive end.

“One of the messages to the team, if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready,” Griffin said. “We want to be physical now so when the playoffs come you don’t have to be you know, talk about this good physical that’s gonna be part of our DNA.”

Here’s more from the Central:

  • Pistons guard Monte Morris, who was acquired from Washington in the offseason, says he’s embracing the opportunity to become a vocal leader for a young Detroit team, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “That’s going to be a good challenge for me because it’s going to be one of the first times in my career where that’s going to be something they’re going to be looking for from me,” Morris said. “To be a voice. With my resume and the experience I have been able to have in my career so far – being me, playing the right way, bring energy, trying to be as consistent as possible every day. Have fun with it. But (being) vocal is going to be my biggest challenge. I’m ready for it.”
  • Head coach Monty Williams believes No. 5 overall pick Ausar Thompson has a chance to make an immediate impact for the Pistons, as Langlois tweets. “We think he’s going to be phenomenal and we think he’s going to be an integral part of our team,” Williams said. “And there’s a chance that could happen right away.”
  • Bulls guard Lonzo Ball hasn’t played since January 2021 and will miss the entire 2023/24 season following a third knee surgery. However, he’s optimistic that he’ll return to an NBA court in the future, he tells Jamal Collier of ESPN. “After the other surgeries, this one has definitely gone the best as far as (the) recovery process,” Ball said. “The last two rehab processes I had, I was getting better and then it just hit a standstill and it started going down. And I haven’t hit that yet.”
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