Chicago Bulls backcourt to fill Lonzo Ball’s role by committee

Injuries have not been kind to former No. 2 pick Lonzo Ball, who averages about 50 games per season and only took the court 35 times in his debut campaign for the Chicago Bulls. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like he’ll buck the trend to start his sixth season with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that Ball is expected to miss all of training camp and the start of the regular season.

Ball is reportedly suffering from “lingering pain and discomfort” in his knee following surgery in January. This means defensive menace Alex Caruso is likely to start at the point guard position until Lonzo is back to his full strength. A selfless player and relentless defender, Caruso always leaves his imprint on the game — whether or not his final stat sheet reflects it.

But it’s going to take a lot more than one player to fill the gap with Ball’s physical outlook trending in the wrong direction. Instead, the Chicago Bulls will need to fill the point guard role by committee until further notice. Good thing they have the personnel to make it work.

Thankfully for the Chicago Bulls, this backcourt runs deep with versatile talent.

There are three players in addition to Caruso who can fill pivotal minutes at point guard with Lonzo rehabbing: Sophomore Ayo Dosunmu, microwave scorer Coby White and veteran Goran Dragic. Their playstyles are quite dissimilar, and none of them can singlehandedly replicate the blend of elite playmaking, defense and rebounding that Lonzo offers. But when combined, they should be able to hold down the fort.

Dosunmu is the most promising of the three at only 22 years old. A physical and predictive perimeter defender, Dosunmu guards ball-handlers with the wit of a veteran. He’s a willful player who embraces contact and at times, shows flashes as a quality shot creator. Ayo shot the ball very consistently in his first year as a pro (52% from the field, 37.6% from 3) and already appears to be one of the best draft values in his class. If the Chicago Bulls find that Caruso is more impactful off the bench, Dosunmu would be the first player called up to the starting lineup.

While Dosunmu is the backup guard who plays with a chip on his shoulder, White is the player with the most to prove. The subject of rampant trade rumors from the February trade deadline through this offseason, White is a viable scoring option who can terrorize defenders off screens with his tantalizing pull-up shooting or floater game. Set to enter restricted free agency at the end of the season, White has a chance to prove his doubters wrong and make some money in an extended role.

Rounding out the rotation is Dragic, who still has some juice left in the tank as he enters his 15th NBA season. The Slovenian combo guard is proving that he’s still an impact player alongside Luka Doncic for their county’s Eurobasket team. A savvy dribbler and threatening shooter, Dragic thrives whether he’s on or off the ball. Joining the team as insurance, Dragic is an excellent connector who will fill a role while offering his insight to the Bulls’ up-and-comers.

Spreading the workload evenly and taking a hot-hand approach will be key for head coach Billy Donovan as he adjusts to life without Lonzo. It’s also important to note that Bulls star DeMar DeRozan vastly improved his playmaking during his time in San Antonio, making it easier for defensive-minded players or shooting specialists to man the point guard position without the offense falling apart.

Of course Ball’s presence will be missed, but in the grand scheme of things, the Chicago Bulls should be fine with or without him.