The Chicago Bulls fielded one of the best playmaking groups in the NBA last year, but they still have work to do if they want to put an end to their postseason failures.
Head coach Billy Donovan transitioned — pun intended — from a half-court scheme built around DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic to an up-tempo system that finished second in the league in pace. Some of the pieces to lead that plan are already set with unselfish floor generals in Josh Giddey (probably) and Tre Jones, along with a true combo guard like Coby White.
Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu and Vucevic are all overlooked assist men who can generate shots for others when the situation calls for it.
Creation is already a strength of this Chicago team that favors running, gunning and chucking threes, but it could get even better, which would be a significant boon for Donovan and Co.
The Chicago Bulls are one of the best playmaking teams in the NBA
The Bulls finished sixth in scoring last season, partially on the back of that aforementioned blistering pace. But they didn’t score a lot of points simply because they racked up a ton of possessions. They also averaged the fifth-most assists per game (29.1), fewer than two shy of the league-leading Denver Nuggets.
Giddey led Chicago with 7.2 dimes a night, but five more Bulls averaged more than three per game (not including the now-departed Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball). Jones (4.9), Ayo Dosunmu (4.9), White (4.5), Vucevic (3.5) and Huerter (3.2) were all above-average playmakers in 2024-25.
Matas Buzelis had 58 assists in the final 31 games of the season once he entered the starting lineup, and the organization expects him to dramatically increase that number this year. If he develops that part of his game the way the Bulls hope he will, it will mean a 6-foot-10 point forward next to a 6-foot-8 point guard in Giddey. White is 6-foot-5 himself, as is Dosunmu. Huerter is 6-foot-7 and Vucevic, for all his flaws, is a splendid facilitator for a center. It would open up several new, intriguing options.
Chicago is clearly all in on pushing the pace, creating full-court havoc and taking advantage of scrambling defenses. Even when things get bogged down late in the shot clock, Giddey and White can create shots for themselves or for teammates. Decision makers inside the building believe Buzelis is primed to do the same, albeit on a less inventive and stat-stuffing level.
If the Bulls are going to break through their play-in malaise and become a playoff contender again, they’ll have to lean even more into their playmaking skills.
