23 hours Ago By Julia Poe
The Chicago Bulls can’t survive without 3-point shooting. This is, in a way, what it looks like when the other shoe drops. Nearly midway through the season, the Bulls are still the second-most prolific 3-point shooting team in the NBA, trailing only the Boston Celtics as they average 16.
5 made 3s on 44 attempts per game. The success of this transformed offense has been undeniable. The Bulls entered their game Saturday night against the Milwaukee Bucks ranked sixth in the league in points (117.
7) and 12th in offensive rating (112.6) as they marginally outperform expectations. But the sustainability of the 3-pointers — the making of them, not the attempts — has been a looming question.
The reality for a lopsided roster is that a team only ever trades one problem for another. The Bulls are more dependent than ever on a single style of shot. And as shooters begin to hit the expected midseason slumps, the offense is at risk of becoming fully exposed.
In the early weeks, center Nikola Vučević often laughed when asked if his shooting would ever cool off. It was a question he had asked himself. As tirelessly as he worked in the offseason, the center still doesn’t have a thorough explanation for how his 3-point shooting jumped from 29.
4% last season to 45.6% this year. For Vučević, the goal has always been the same : consistency.
The center does not thrive in tumult. When his shooting becomes streaky, he often struggles to contain frustration, which then degrades his accuracy. Vučević’s volume of shots has been satisfying, but he cares more about sustaining a high level of accuracy than jacking up a bunch of shots.
But the trend is beginning to turn for Vučević. The center has shot 35% from 3-point range the last five games, going 0-for-4 in a loss to the Boston Celtics and 2-for-8 in the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Vučević is not alone.
The Bulls are trending downward in 3-point accuracy, dropping to 35.9% in the last 10 games. This has been heightened by the absence of key players such as Lonzo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu, who both boost 3-point shooting and can facilitate playmaking to create better opportunities.
The Bulls’ long-range attempts haven’t wavered even as their accuracy has dipped. Instead, they are steadily taking more and more attempts from deep as opposing defenses begin to cede the 3-point arc in preference of packing the paint and removing all other avenues of scoring. Their loss Thursday to the Atlanta Hawks , in which the Bulls shot 51.
2% (22 of 43) from long range, encapsulated just how dependent they have become — both on 3-point shooting and the individual brilliance behind it. Jevon Carter buoyed the offense with an improbable flurry of six 3-pointers in the first quarter. On the scoresheet, this created the facade of a robust offense as the Bulls pulled ahead by double digits.
In reality, Carter’s scoring belied a complete lack of scoring from the rest of the roster, which managed only six made shots from inside the arc in the first quarter. Once Carter’s hot streak dimmed, the Bulls floundered. Related Articles Chicago Bulls | Sacramento Kings fire coach Mike Brown less than halfway through his 3rd season Chicago Bulls | ‘We are not trading Jimmy Butler,’ says Miami Heat President Pat Riley Chicago Bulls | 3 takeaways from the Chicago Bulls’ late collapse in Atlanta, including a 20-0 Hawks run leading to a 3rd straight loss Chicago Bulls | Column: Chicago Bulls players and coaches refuse to tank as the front office nears a turning point Chicago Bulls | Chicago basketball report: Tyler Marsh hires his first Sky assistant in Courtney Paris — and Alex Caruso gets paid The pattern repeated in the third quarter, with Zach LaVine burying six 3s of his own.
The Bulls seemed settled into a comfortable blowout, only to have it evaporate in the fourth quarter. The 141-133 loss — their third straight — highlighted that while 3-point shooting is an easy way to blow out an opponent, quarters such as the second and fourth — when the Bulls managed only three 3-pointers each — leave the team paralyzed for scoring options. To be clear, the Bulls should be able to win any game in which they score more than 130 points, leaving Thursday’s failure squarely on their defense.
But finding a way to feel less vulnerable to shooting streaks and skids is imperative for maintaining competitiveness in the new year. There are a few ways to accomplish this. The Bulls could utilize Vučević more inside the arc.
Opposing defenses are trying to knock the center out of his typical shooting rhythm, which is opening up mismatches and post-ups down low that the Bulls still aren’t hitting. Improved entry passes — and elevated finishing at the rim from Vučević — would reestablish some balance to the way the center is being utilized. The Bulls also could benefit from utilizing LaVine’s playmaking more consistently.
The guard has spent most of this season showcasing his ability to do more with less , averaging an improved 22.3 points despite taking two fewer shots per game than the previous two seasons. But the offense finds its true rhythm when LaVine pushes the ball downhill early in a game.
The best way for the Bulls to ride out shooting slumps is to create better 3-point shots. They shouldn’t stop taking 3s — quite the opposite. The offense has been revitalized by the enthusiasm with which the players have bought into a new style of play.
Even when the 3-pointers aren’t falling, the ball movement and off-ball creativity established by the system is critical to the success of the rest of the offense. For the Bulls, the answer is taking better 3-point shots, not fewer. Whether they can continue to create those looks — even as opposing defenses adjust to combat their greatest strength — will be the focal point of the next stage of the season.
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