{"id":27528,"date":"2025-01-20T20:20:08","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T20:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528"},"modified":"2025-01-20T20:20:08","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T20:20:08","slug":"chicago-bulls-notes-has-the-tank-begun-the-matas-buzelis-minutes-problem-a-good-fake-trade-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Billy-Donovan-Bulls.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1210px) 100vw, 1210px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Billy-Donovan-Bulls.jpg 1210w, https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Billy-Donovan-Bulls-300x149.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Billy-Donovan-Bulls-1024x508.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Billy-Donovan-Bulls-768x381.jpg 768w\" alt=\"Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More\" width=\"1210\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The Chicago Bulls have now lost five of their last six games.<\/p>\n<p>@ Pacers \u2013 129-113<strong> L <\/strong><br \/>\nvs. Wizards \u2013 138-105 <strong>W <\/strong><br \/>\nvs. Kings \u2013 124-119<strong> L <\/strong><br \/>\nvs. Pelicans \u2013 119-113<strong> L <\/strong><br \/>\nvs. Hawks \u2013 110-94 <strong>L <\/strong><br \/>\nvs. Hornets \u2013 125-123 <strong>L<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Is the tank officially on!?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>While the Chicago Bulls remain No. 10 in the Eastern Conference, there is no doubt this last week has helped them significantly when it comes to keeping their 2025 first-round pick. The Philadelphia 76ers are only 1.5 games behind them and have very little incentive not to push for the postseason. Especially if the Bulls make the moves many want\/expect at the deadline, they should have a good shot at improving their lottery odds and swapping places with Philly sooner rather than later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>With that said, this is the Bulls we\u2019re talking about! They are just as capable of losing four in a row as they are winning four in a row. Plus, it\u2019s not as if Philly has a cupcake schedule on the horizon. The 76ers struggles could very well continue ahead of the trade deadline, as nine of their next ten games will come against teams currently above .500. Joel Embiid has also been ruled out for at least the next 7-10 days as he deals with swelling in his knee. So \u2026 there are no guarantees that the Bulls find themselves out of the Play-In mix any time soon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>We also can\u2019t expect Billy Donovan to throw in the towel. He is one of the many reasons I had major concerns about the Bulls genuinely pursuing a youth movement. As much as it feels like he should be, Donovan is not a developmental head coach. He told everybody this when he got up and left the OKC Thunder as they headed toward a rebuild. The head coach doesn\u2019t see adversity as a learning opportunity but rather a reason to double down on his veteran talent. It\u2019s why we have seen Lonzo Ball begin to close games and the Bulls\u2019 youngsters struggling to clock meaningful minutes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>To be clear, I don\u2019t necessarily blame Billy Donovan for this mindset. He is a win-now head coach and always has been. This is more on the front office for tasking him with something that he just isn\u2019t comfortable doing. If Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley still believe he is the man for the job, they have to give him no choice but to put on his development hat. Instead, they have continued to provide him with a roster of capable veterans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<blockquote data-dnt=\"true\" data-width=\"550\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Asked about what message he&#8217;d have for Bulls fans with young players getting so little time and\/or sitting down stretch, Billy Donovan reiterated, &#8220;We&#8217;re trying to obviously put the guys out there, at least I am, that I feel are going to give us the best opportunity to win.&#8221;\u2014 Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) January 18, 2025<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>With that said, four minutes for Matas Buzelis in a game against the 14th-seeded Charlotte Hornets is absurd for multiple reasons. The Chicago Bulls could have legitimately used his size and aggressiveness on the glass, as the Hornets won the second-chance points battle a staggering 26-15. He is also this team\u2019s leader in total blocks! It sure felt like his instincts could have come in handy while we watched the Hornets score 64 points in the paint. Most importantly, however, Charlotte is a team with a lot of athleticism and length at the wing! The Bulls should want to use this as a learning experience and see how their high-upside youngster matches up against that kind of talent!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Matas-Buzelis-block-1.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Matas-Buzelis-block-1.jpg 1210w, https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Matas-Buzelis-block-1-300x149.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Matas-Buzelis-block-1-1024x508.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Matas-Buzelis-block-1-768x381.jpg 768w\" alt=\"Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More\" width=\"1210\" height=\"600\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1210px) 100vw, 1210px\" \/><figcaption>\u00a9 Matt Marton-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>At least the Bulls got some more tape to send over to the Warriors last night! Nikola Vucevic absolutely dominated a decent Hornets frontcourt, shooting 17-25 from the field on his way to a season-high 40 points! The most impressive thing about his performance is that he drained only two threes. Pretty much everything came in the paint, as he made the Hornets\u2019 drop defense pay with his floating jumper and nailed some nasty hook shots over seven-footer Mark Williams. The closer we get to the deadline, the more I feel like someone will fork over a first-rounder for this guy. He\u2019s been that good.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Bleacher Report\u2019s Dan Favale pitched a trade idea that involves the Bulls, Pelicans, and Pistons. In his scenario, Zach LaVine and Torrey Craig head to the Pistons along with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. The Pelicans receive Simone Fontecchio, Tim Hardaway Jr., Marcus Sasser, and a 2025 second-round pick. Finally, the Bulls receive Brandon Ingram, Wendell Moore Jr., and a 2027 second-rounder. Thoughts?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>A part of me believes the Bulls should be able to get more for LaVine, especially during a season where he very well could be named an All-Star reserve. His scoring numbers have been among the league\u2019s best, and we\u2019ve also watched him play a much more consistent all-around game. At the same time, the Bulls have to get the ball rolling eventually. Taking back Brandon Ingram would be an easy way for them to open up significant financial flexibility and control their own destiny. They avoid taking on bad money and can potentially add more assets in the offseason by helping the talented wing facilitate a sign-and-trade. Again, considering how well LaVine is playing, I\u2019m sure some would be very frustrated with this deal. But I could probably talk myself into it pretty quickly \u2026 as long as the Bulls don\u2019t talk themselves into re-signing Ingram over the summer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/LaVine_Murray.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/LaVine_Murray.jpg 1210w, https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/LaVine_Murray-300x149.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/LaVine_Murray-1024x508.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.bleachernation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/LaVine_Murray-768x381.jpg 768w\" alt=\"Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More\" width=\"1210\" height=\"600\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1210px) 100vw, 1210px\" \/><figcaption>Jan 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) defends New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) during the first quarter at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>The Lonzo vs. LaMelo series is now tied 2-2. Lonzo Ball spoke with CHSN after the game about matching up against his little brother.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Angel Reese helped the new Unrivaled Basketball League tip off their inaugural season on Friday night. Competing in the second-ever game, she scored 10 points with 12 rebounds and 4 assists in a tight loss to the Vinyl. The Chicago Sky star showed a little of what she must be working on this summer with a mid-range jumper to get things started \u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>If you didn\u2019t tune into last night\u2019s action on TNT, I would actually highly recommend it. I wasn\u2019t sure what to expect with the 3-on-3 format, but the pace was incredibly quick and the caliber talent on the floor definitely stood out. The first game finished with a dope pull-up game-winner by Skylar Diggins-Smith \u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure>https:\/\/twitter.com\/BleacherReport\/status\/1880425955338187142<\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>As the Blackhawks look to keep building, Tab takes a closer look at where the NHL salary cap is headed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>The Bears reportedly called the Steelers about trying to trade for head coach Mike Tomlin. Luis has more on the shocking report.<\/li>\n<li>CubsCon is underway in Chicago, and Brett is on the grounds sharing plenty of thoughts. Follow along!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Chicago Bulls came into the week with one of their easiest stretches yet, and they are now riding a four-game losing streak.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":27529,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More - News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Chicago Bulls came into the week with one of their easiest stretches yet, and they are now riding a four-game losing streak.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News 365\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-20T20:20:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/01-2025-01-21T031955.036.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MsHan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MsHan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528\",\"name\":\"Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More - News 365\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/01-2025-01-21T031955.036.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-20T20:20:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-20T20:20:08+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f09359787389175562194e1ac16d5c2a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/01-2025-01-21T031955.036.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/01-2025-01-21T031955.036.png\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"News 365\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f09359787389175562194e1ac16d5c2a\",\"name\":\"MsHan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b5d5395174488a4ed6e967c89fcc43e593f72ab35b7650fb9fd4cfd4250bbe3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b5d5395174488a4ed6e967c89fcc43e593f72ab35b7650fb9fd4cfd4250bbe3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"MsHan\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?author=3\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More - News 365","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More - News 365","og_description":"The Chicago Bulls came into the week with one of their easiest stretches yet, and they are now riding a four-game losing streak.","og_url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528","og_site_name":"News 365","article_published_time":"2025-01-20T20:20:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/01-2025-01-21T031955.036.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"MsHan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MsHan","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528","url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528","name":"Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More - News 365","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/01-2025-01-21T031955.036.png","datePublished":"2025-01-20T20:20:08+00:00","dateModified":"2025-01-20T20:20:08+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f09359787389175562194e1ac16d5c2a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/01-2025-01-21T031955.036.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/01-2025-01-21T031955.036.png","width":1080,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=27528#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Chicago Bulls Notes: Has the Tank Begun? The Matas Buzelis Minutes Problem, A Good Fake Trade, More"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/","name":"News 365","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f09359787389175562194e1ac16d5c2a","name":"MsHan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b5d5395174488a4ed6e967c89fcc43e593f72ab35b7650fb9fd4cfd4250bbe3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6b5d5395174488a4ed6e967c89fcc43e593f72ab35b7650fb9fd4cfd4250bbe3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"MsHan"},"url":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?author=3"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27528"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27530,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27528\/revisions\/27530"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}