Chicago Bulls: 3 reasons not to tank after All-Star break

2. Important for Big 3 to develop chemistry

When the Bulls acquired Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen in an offseason trade, each of the players came with a set of questions. Following a dismal rookie season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, many wondered if Dunn could become the point guard the Bulls had been looking for since the departure of former MVP Derrick Rose.

Could LaVine return to form following an ACL injury that sidelined him for 11 months? Would Markkanen’s skill-set translate to the next level and could he be more than just a spot-up shooter?

At this point, each of these players has proven to be valuable long-term pieces to the Bulls’ rebuilding effort. The caveat here is that they’ve played in a total of just four games together. Not only that, LaVine was on a 20-minute restriction in three of those contests, while Dunn played on the same restriction limit upon his return to the rotation after missing 11 games due to a concussion.

Bearing that in mind, it would be wise for the Bulls to make sure that this trio of players learns the nuisances of each other’s games, especially since each of them figures to play a prominent role in the team’s future going forward.