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The Chicago Bulls should keep their core group of players together

By Thomas J. Brown

Dec 31, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) is held back by Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (12) in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) is held back by Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (12) in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Chicago Bulls
May 13, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) grabs a rebound against the Toronto Raptors during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

Chicago Bulls should keep their core group of players: Identifying the key players

Every great team has a core group of players that their fanbase can readily identify with. While fans in Chicago are nostalgic about the years when Derrick Rose made the team a perennial contender, he is not the only fan favorite from that era.

Players like Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Kirk Heinrich are also hailed as important players who made those years a time to remember. This year’s team is no different.

Outside of LaVine and DeRozan, there are several other key players who Chicago should make it a priority to keep or refuse to trade. Lonzo Ball is one of the first names that comes to mind. If it weren’t for his season ending injury, the team may very well have gotten past the first round of the playoffs. No, they probably couldn’t have beaten the Milwaukee Bucks in a seven-game series, but the team was trending higher than the sixth seed when Ball went down. Given the chance to come back healthy next season, he is definitely a player the team should keep.

Another player whose season was greatly impacted by injury was second year forward Patrick Williams. He was forced to miss the majority of the year due to offseason surgery and he never fully returned to form when he was reintroduced to the lineup. However, his upside remains immeasurable meaning that any trade packages the team is offered for his services had better be good if it is to be seriously entertained.

The rest of the core is rounded out by Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, Nikola Vucevic, and Coby White. Skeptical fans may ask, is this team good enough to win an NBA championship? The answer can be found in the pairing of two elite wings, in this case Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.

If these two perform up to their full potential, and the rest of the supporting cast is healthy, reaching the NBA Finals is not out of the question.

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