Instead of moving on from a center at this year’s trade deadline as many expected, the Chicago Bulls ended up adding one. 27-year-old Zach Collins came over as part of the multi-team Zach LaVine deal, joining a unit that already had Nikola Vucevic and Jalen Smith.
To be sure, the Bulls were rather thin in the frontcourt, so the mere idea of rostering a third big man wasn’t crazy. But who they added matters. For a multitude of reasons, Collins belongs on the floor. He appeared in 60+ games over the previous two seasons and averaged roughly 22.0 minutes per contest. San Antonio also continued to lean on him this season, suiting him up behind Victor Wembanyama in 36 of the Spurs’ 46 contests before he ended up with the Bulls.
Now that he has started to receive playing time with his new team, all Collins has done is continue to demonstrate why he should be on the court. He’s averaged 16.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over his last three games. Two of those contests were starts in place of Nikola Vucevic, including Wednesday night’s game against the Clippers where he recorded 21 points with 17 rebounds and 6 assists.
So not only is Collins performing at a level that warrants playing time, but the Bulls should be invested in seeing what he has to offer. While he shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as a building block at 27 years old, there is no ignoring that he is (1) much younger than Vucevic and (2) headed toward an expiring contract next season. Whether it be to potentially build his trade value ahead of this offseason or evaluate him as a potential piece worth keeping around, Collins has plenty of reasons to be in the rotation.
© Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesUnfortunately, we can arguably say the same about Nikola Vucevic and Jalen Smith. Why would the Bulls keep him until the offseason if they weren’t going to play him and use his veteran instincts to help their youngsters? Likewise, you need to continue showing teams he is a player worth trading for in the offseason, or you could risk lowering his value.
As for Jalen Smith, he is the youngest of the three and signed a three-year deal this offseason. The Bulls should want to see what he can do with an increased workload, especially when we consider how well he’s done with his 15.0 minutes per game this season (8.4 PTS, 5.4 REB).
How Billy Donovan distributes minutes will be fascinating to watch over the final 23 games of the season. He’s had it easy over the past few games, as Jalen Smith has been in concussion protocol and Nikola Vucevic has been ruled out with calf soreness. Things should remain rather easy on Friday night, as Chicago Sports Network reported that Vucevic will remain out while Smith likely returns. But what about when Vucevic is given the green light? Who will be the odd man out?
I guess it’s possible the Bulls decide to sit Vucevic the rest of the way. It already felt like a borderline tank move when they initially sat him against the 76ers, as he was not on the injury report going into gameday. But would they really cut his season short by 20+ games? As much sense as it would make for a rebuilding team, it would still feel extreme. And, whether they chalk it up to an injury or simply bench the veteran, I can’t imagine it’s something he would be happy to do.
The only other alternative I could see for Donovan is messing with a couple of two-big lineups. Both Collins and Smith built up plenty of experience playing the four early in their careers. Still, there is a reason they have transitioned into primarily playing at the five, and I’m not sure it’s in their or the Bulls’ best interest to force them out of that comfort zone. This is especially true with rookie Matas Buzelis needing all the minutes he can get!
With wins and losses not mattering the rest of the way, it’s not like this is a problem that should keep Donovan up at night. That’s reserved for his decision to leave OKC! However, this does feel like one of the few important storylines to watch as the rest of the season unfolds. See what happens when you don’t trade Vooch!
© Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The Chicago Bulls Could Have a Big Problem on Their Hands (Literally) )
Also on site :
- How to watch Chelsea vs Djurgarden: predictions and lineups for Conference League today
- Manchester United vs. Athletic Bilbao: live stream and lineups
- Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham predictions , lineups and live stream for Europa League today