The Chicago Bulls season is still alive. After finishing the season as the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls are fighting for a spot in the playoffs. To qualify, they must overcome the Miami Heat on Wednesday, April 16, and then defeat the Atlanta Hawks later that week.
Regardless of what happens in the coming days, there have been some encouraging signs of growth within the Bulls’ roster. Josh Giddey and Coby White have formed a solid partnership at the guard positions. Matas Buzelis looks like the real deal, and Nikola Vucevic has rediscovered his best form.
Nevertheless, this summer could be a pivotal one for the Bulls. Giddey is a free agent and will undoubtedly attract interest from around the NBA. The front office must ensure they retain their star of the future. Furthermore, the Bulls could have a lottery pick in the upcoming draft, and that could give Chicago another shot at landing a high-level contributor.
According to an April 14 mock draft from Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, the Bulls could select Jase Richardson out of Michigan State. Richardson would round out Chicago’s guard rotation.
“Adding another guard could make some sense, especially someone like Richardson who could thrive in two-man game actions with Giddey and Buzelis, while complementing White in the backcourt,” O’Connor wrote. “The Michigan State freshman is a skilled combo guard with a lethal midrange game and a poised pick-and-roll feel, looking like he downloaded the experience of his NBA veteran father, Jason Richardson. Jase didn’t inherit his father’s height or dunk contest athleticism though, so his smaller stature could cap his upside. But he has an “it factor” about him that could blossom in Chicago.”
Richardson Had a Strong Collegiate Season
Richardson played in 36 games for the Michigan Spartans this season. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Furthermore, he shot the ball at a 49.3% clip from the field while also knocking down an impressive 41.2% of his 3-point shots.
There’s no denying that Richardson could make an impact at the NBA level. However, like most rookies, he will need to acclimate to the step up in talent and athleticsm. Furthermore, he would need to prove himself. Chicago has a very strong guard rotation. Billy Donovan wouldn’t hand out minutes unless they’ve been earned.
Still, adding another high ceiling guard would cement the Bulls’ backcourt rotation for the foreseeable future, assuming they lock Giddey in long-term.
Bulls Billy Donovan Focused on Miami Heat
While the NBA Draft is getting closer, the Bulls will undoubtedly be focused on facing the Heat. Miami has eliminated Chicago from the last two play-in tournament games. When speaking to the media on April 13, Donovan issued somewhat of a rallying cry for his team.
“The game Wednesday [will] be the last game of the year if we don’t win, so we have to throw everything we’ve got into that game,” Donovan said. “I’m a big believer each game is its own individual. What’s in the past is in the past. You can take things from games, but this is totally fresh and new; everything is new.”
Donovan continued.
“Sure, you will look at how you played against them the three times we played, but their roster changed [with the trade of Butler] and so has ours [with the trade of LaVine]. So it’s not the exact teams. Different year, different challenges and different opportunities.”
Chicago’s roster is strong enough to overcome Miami. However, the game won’t be easy. As such, Donovan will be hoping for big performances from Giddey, White and Vucevic. Sooner or later, the Bulls’ attention will turn toward the draft, but for now, there’s still a chance the team could make the playoffs, and that’s something worth fighting for.
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