Everything feels monotonous lately.
The defensive mishaps, the player reads on the offensive end whether the Bulls are running a Spain action in the halfcourt or a quick read in transition, the injuries, the excuses.
All one big pile of smelly stuff that suddenly doesn’t feel like an easy clean-up.
Maybe that’s why veteran Nikola Vucevic has been so frustrated the last few weeks. Even in a win, the 35-year-old has called out himself and teammates for looking soft and playing an unsustainable style of basketball.
Vucevic wasn’t wrong.
Since making his “soft” comments after a one-point win over then one-win Washington, Vucevic & Co. have stumbled to five consecutive losses, falling to the likes of New Orleans, Charlotte, Indiana and then on Wednesday, a Brooklyn team that is now 5-16, made up of mostly rookies and Michael Porter Jr.
Rock bottom?
One would think.
Then again, one is not the Bulls front office, which is obviously oblivious to the reality that’s really been staring them in the face for three seasons: Life in NBA mediocrity is hell.
That’s why it’s time to do right by the big man and trade Vucevic. If that means a package to get it done, so be it. This “iteration” of Bulls basketball and the reload on the run that’s been attempted is over before it even really got off the floor.
To Vucevic’ credit, he’s trying to keep both hands on the rope, but what exactly is he pulling for? Another play-in? More talk of “competitive integrity” like this is some sort of youth basketball league where life lessons need to be taught?
“Yeah, I do,” Vucevic responded, when asked if he felt like the locker room was still bought into this product. “Guys believe in what the staff wants us to do out there and the system they want us to play. When we’ve done it well, we might not have always won the game, but we played better. For whatever reason we just haven’t been at our best lately. (The Nets loss) just wasn’t good at all. We’ve got to figure it out.”
Vucevic deserves to figure it out somewhere else. Specifically, on a playoff team where he can play out his expiring contract the rest of this season, and chase something meaningful.
He’s been the good soldier since coming over from Orlando in the 2020-21 campaign and quickly having to sacrifice his game for the likes of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. He’s endured the eventual flip of that roster to a younger locker room and an up-tempo offense. He’s lived through several years of trade talk and rumors that have had legs but ran straight into the mud.
He’s been the ultimate volunteer who needs to be moved before he feels like a hostage.
If the Bulls front office had any sort of imagination in roster construction the only two players they should be focusing on is Josh Giddey continuing to put up All-Star numbers, fresh off his fifth triple-double of the season, and the development of second-year forward Matas Buzelis.
That’s it.
Everything else? Open up the cage door and let it go free, starting with Vucevic.
“In this league, one win can change everything,” Vucevic said of the current state of the team. “One win can make you feel a lot better and might start up a streak.”
Sure, big man, way to try and stay the optimist.
Here’s some optimism for you: Time has been served and now go chase something meaningful. If only the Bulls front office wasn’t again the last to understand that.