🚨EXCLUSIVE 🚨: Bulls drop preseason finale to Timberwolves

Rehearsals are over. Though the Bulls Thursday to close their preseason still had to go with understudies with Zach LaVine home ill in a 114-105 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves that left the Bulls 1-4 when it didn’t count.

Though now that it will matter beginning Wednesday in the United Center against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Bulls coach Billy Donovan says the last few weeks did reveal the need for some better performances before this show reaches the main stage.

“I like the way we are trying to play on offense,” Donovan said in summary of the early previews. “I think we have to get much better taking care of the ball. That’s been clear, a pretty consistent challenge for us in all these games. We’ve been a pretty good team the last couple of years taking care of it. The other part is defensively we are not near where we had been last year. I think we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us there to get better. I do like that we are trying to offensive rebound more; that’s been encouraging. I think we’ve gotten downhill more attacking the basket. It was good to see we got to the free throw line more (Thursday) in the second half. So I think this time of year there are a lot of things we have to improve on both sides.”

Keep repeating that it’s just preseason.

Donovan did confirm the expected that Coby White and Patrick Williams will remain starters around LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević, the latter who led the Bulls Thursday with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Patrick Williams chipped in 10 points and five rebounds on Thursday.
“I think we’ve taken some good steps in areas we’ve talked about, especially offensively playing with more pace, better ball movement and movement in general,” said Vučević, who was second to LaVine in preseason scoring. “Not being as stagnant and not a lot of ball watching, and the offensive glass has been better. Preseason it’s hard to judge because some teams don’t play all their guys. I think there have been some positive steps, so continue to build and get to where we want to get. I said that this summer. This is our probably last shot to make something happen (with this Big Three group) and we’re aware of that and it’s on us to deliver.”

White has played well settling into a designated role for the first time in his Bulls career. But Donovan remained concerned about the lack of a natural facilitator among the three primary point guards with White, Jevon Carter and Ayo Dosunmu. White had three turnovers Thursday and Williams four.

The Bulls in their high pick and roll heavy offense haven’t employed Vučević much as a facilitator. He suggested that should be coming as the new players work in. Also, LaVine’s absence puts pressure on the other perimeter players. The offense without LaVine clearly lacked the firepower the way LaVine has scored this preseason, 17 points in fewer than 24 minutes per game while shooting a searing 54% overall.

That’s been in contrast to his offense partner DeRozan, who had 11 points and just eight field goal attempts against Minnesota. DeRozan averaged 13 points in 25 minutes in the preseason. The Bulls on offense have emphasized playing more quickly and getting shots off early in the shot clock, which doesn’t match DeRozan’s precise style.

But the veteran scorer headed to the Basketball Hall of Fame says he’s just no fan of preseason games after all this time and is confident he can adjust to whatever is needed.

“For me it’s just feeling out going into season to be comfortable with what we are doing,” said DeRozan, proudly showing off a Devin Hester t-shirt and lobbying for the former Bears kick returner to be a hall of famer. “Just trying to get all of us comfortable, the different options, understanding how to create opportunities. More a conscious effort of getting to spots and creating shots and see where shots come from. At end of the day it’s basketball.”

DeMar DeRozan finished with 11 points against the Timberwolves.
Andre Drummond also missed the game, he for personal reasons, the team said. That enabled the bigger Timberwolves to have a rebounding edge and blow up the Bulls options when they tried small lineups.

The Timberwolves pretty much controlled the game, leading by eight after one quarter, by one at halftime and then pulling away in the third quarter even as Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards with a smooth 19 points in 20 minutes sat out the second half along with center Rudy Gobert. Karl-Anthony Towns missed the game for the undefeated Timberwolves, whom many are predicting a much improved season.

Perhaps even more impressive was they were the first visiting team in the United Center to have a chef preparing hot meals in the hallway outside their locker room pregame. These ‘wolves are hungry.

Donovan hopes the Bulls will be as well, though they have some things to chew on for now.

The Bulls have prioritized offense coming into this preseason after finishing 24th last season, though fifth on defense. But with trying to fit in new players, even if they are defensive minded, Donovan said the defense has shown slippage. The opponents in the five games even with regulars mostly sitting second halves averaged 49% shooting overall in the five games with multiple layups per game.

“We are not in gaps and where we should be,” said Donovan. “We’re not protecting the rim. We’re not there for eachother on a consistent enough basis.”

Increasing the frequency of three-point shot attempts also has been part of the to-do list, and after some backsliding the last few games the Bulls did attempt 36. But you suspected some might have been forced as they shot just 30% and Williams and White were a combined one of 14. Minnesota was 17 of 43 on threes, and consistently had right corner threes open with their pace of play and movement.

It’s perhaps one reason the Bulls struggle to attempt more threes.

Though both newcomers Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig, are quality three-point shooters, neither seems comfortable in a standing catch-and-shoot role. Dosunmu looked the best at that briefly with back-to-back threes in the third quarter. He had 15 points on five of nine overall.

Coby White attempts a layup against the Timberwolves in Thursday’s preseason finale.
The Bulls offense generally revolves around a high pick and roll in the middle. Other than LaVine, they do not have elite finishers. Though White is much improved. Their players seem most comfortable out of the offensive actions pulling up in the mid range for a shot or taking the ball all the way to the rim. Donovan has been emphasizing swinging the ball at that point, though it seems still a learned response for many. The result often seems to be fewer threes sought out in the favored corners of the analytics gurus.

When the Bulls get run off their threes, which is the primary practiced defensive response in this era, they’ve too often settled into those comfortable mid-range plays instead of seeking out the long balls. It’s a balance, and it does take some time to feel comfortable. Especially with two new regulars in the rotation.

It seems like Donovan is pretty settled with his rotations now starting LaVine, DeRozan, Vučević, White and Williams. The bench looks like Dosunmu, who started for LaVine Thursday playing mostly small forward, with DeRozan at shooting guard to start. Off the bench Alex Caruso, Carter, Drummond and Craig.

Dalen Terry led a group of deep reserves who didn’t play until into the fourth quarter with Minnesota ahead by 15.

Donovan has been substituting Craig first for Williams, though Williams seems to have done enough to retain his starting spot. Caruso, Craig and Carter often are playing together in a killer Cs trio. And while Caruso shot 56% on threes in the preseason at five of nine, that group has lacked offense. Like an aggressive NFL team, if they aren’t getting the takeaways they’re battling uphill. The Bulls did have 11 steals Thursday and an impressive 51 in the five games, but just seven fast break points Thursday. They did have an appealing 24 points from the turnovers, but yielded 18 on their own. They shot 27 free throws to 22 for Minnesota.

Meanwhile, Donovan has urged Williams to get to the offensive boards more as Dosunmu has. Williams responded well Thursday with 10 points, five rebounds and several dunk attempts at the Brobdingnagian Gobert. Though Williams, usually the best three-point shooter on the roster, was zero of seven on threes, Donovan said Williams’ effect on the game was substantial.

“He didn’t make a three, he didn’t shoot the ball well, but everyone felt his impact in the game,” complimented Donovan. “That’s what he’s got to do, but can he do that consistently?”

Williams’ locker room neighbor White gave his buddy high marks.

“No surprise,” said White. “Coach texted him; he passed.”

The real tests are only just about to begin.