Chicago Bulls: 3 glaring concerns to address this offseason

The Chicago Bulls need a bench scorer

The Bulls finished 24th in bench points per 100 possessions in 2020-21, an issue that became even more of a problem when those same reserves filled in for Zach LaVine when he missed 11 games due to the NBA’s Health and Safety protocols (the team ranked 26th in offensive rating during that stretch).

In short, this is an area the Bulls need to focus on during the summer.

Wanna know how important having a strong bench is? Well, ponder on this: Of the teams that rank in the top 10 in bench points per 100, seven of them made it to the play-in and six made the playoffs. It’s not exactly a case of correlation equalling causation — half of the teams in the bottom 10 also at least reached the play-in — but it is good to know your team has enough depth to withstand an unforeseen circumstance.

You know, like not having your best player for nearly two weeks.

Bulls fans have seen enough from the likes of Temple, Valentine, Ryan Arcidiacono, and Coby White (more on the latter two in the next slide) to know that they aren’t capable of keeping the team above water when LaVine or Vucevic isn’t there to captain the ship. It’s time to change things up.