Bulls forward Matas Buzelis was sitting in the chair by his locker, insisting he hasn’t hit the ‘‘rookie wall.’’
‘‘I saw you sleeping in your chair before the game,’’ guard Coby White said with a laugh late Monday. ‘‘You were out, bro.’’
A few minutes later, just a few feet from where that exchange took place, guard Zach LaVine was defending White amid his shooting slump.
‘‘There’s ups and downs throughout an NBA season,’’ LaVine said. ‘‘We’ll all be OK.’’
Who says the Bulls don’t defend well?
But that’s what back-to-back losses do to a team that was overachieving through the first two months of the season. The players were on their heels, defending their energy or defending one another.
Buzelis dealing with the ‘‘rookie wall’’ was at least debatable, especially considering the level of competition the Bulls have faced in their last three games (the Celtics twice, then the Bucks).
But White’s shooting slump is real, especially lately. He is shooting 35.8% from three-point range overall, which would be his lowest since his rookie season in 2019-20 (35.4%), and 29.3% from three in December.
White has spoken about it several times in the last few weeks and didn’t seem the least bit concerned. His teammates are on the same page.
‘‘Coby is one of the most confident dudes I’ve played with,’’ LaVine said. ‘‘He’s in the gym every day. A couple of shots that don’t go in or out . . . I don’t think that messes with his mindset at all. This is a guy that has had multiple 30[-point games], a 40-point game before, you know.’’
Is there one solid explanation for White’s slump? Not really. There seldom is for players who have had a consistent five-year track record.
First, it’s important to point out that White missed two games at the start of December because of an ankle injury. He also has been dealing with coldlike symptoms that seemingly have hung over the team for weeks.
But that’s the NBA. No one feels 100% after the start of the regular season.
And White isn’t the only Bulls player who has been in a bit of a slump from three-point range in the last month. Center Nikola Vucevic and guard Lonzo Ball have seen a dip from beyond the arc, too.
Second, coach Billy Donovan pointed out the Bulls’ new offensive philosophy this season has them playing at a pace that is much different from that of last season.
The Bulls finished last season ranked 28th in the NBA in pace, averaging 96.94 possessions per game. Through Monday, they were third in the league this season at 104.48 possessions.
While individual minutes might be down from last season, the trips up and down the court are way up. This isn’t only the fastest the Bulls have played in some time, but it’s the fastest some players have played in their careers.
Donovan thinks there’s a learning curve to that style of play in terms of how it affects shot-making and is confident that the numbers will improve.
One theory about White’s struggles Donovan shot down is the idea that Josh Giddey taking over the point-guard duties that White filled last season somehow is messing with White’s scoring.
Donovan admitted there were some rough patches early on but said they have been ironed out.
‘‘I don’t want to say growing pains,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘Probably more getting to know each other. The encouraging thing the last five or six games [before Giddey’s ankle injury] was I think Josh was really starting to make a positive trajectory because he and Coby were finding a rhythm.’’