The Chicago Bulls are 35 games into their 2021-2022 campaign, and they are currently in first place in the Eastern Conference. That’s pretty neat, isn’t it? Offseason additions Demar Derozan, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu (draft), Javonte Green, Troy Brown, Jr. and Derrick Jones, Jr. have given the Bulls a big lift. The only incumbents from the 2020/2021 Bulls are Zach Lavine, Coby White, Patrick Williams, Devon Dotson, and Nikola Vučević. That’s a pretty big roster turnover from one season to the next. Guess what though? It worked! Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley built a roster that some thought wasn’t going to work together. They gave Billy Donovan a clean slate, for the most part, to put his system in and get players to mesh well together. Demar Derozan has been an elite player this season, he is in the MVP conversation as it stands. Zach Lavine can still take over a game whenever he needs to, and those two have found a way to play together and just want to win. Adding in Lonzo Ball’s playmaking and defense in the backcourt has also been a huge boost. The power forward position has been played by guards for the most part with the injury to Patrick Williams ending his season. Then you have Nikola Vučević, a two time All-Star, and top tier big man in the NBA.

Nikola Vučević was acquired last year from the Orlando Magic in exchange for Wendell Carter Jr. and Otto Porter as the main pieces to go.

Twitter user @rojopalko had some thoughts on that trade when it happened:

Robin is absolutely right, it was a trade you would’ve never seen under Gar Forman and John Paxson. Understanding you could offload a bad contract in Otto Porter and a big man who wasn’t working in the current team direction, while also getting a two time All-Star in the deal, is a big confidence booster. Fans had been clamoring for a difference in leadership and AKME as they are known, are doing just that. Vučević didn’t really have much time to get into a new system on a team not fighting for a playoff spot in 2021, so he just did what he knew, rebounded and scored. He ran a good two man game with Zach Lavine, basically because that’s all the Bulls had at that time. Vučević or “Vooch” was just playing his normal role he’s played the last few years, which is focal point. He was the main source of everything for Orlando in his time there.

So after the offseason the Bulls put together, adding Derozan and Ball to the starting rotation, what was to be expected of Vooch? You’re adding in a primary scorer, and a playmaker. Along with already having Lavine, who can do both, so what were the expectations of a center in this system? Remember Billy Donovan coached the Oklahoma City Thunder for a few years, yes he had Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, but his big man was Steven Adams. How did he use Steven Adams? Mostly in pick and roll, and top of the key distribution. Vooch is quite a bit more versatile, that he can shoot the three, handle the ball, as well as run the pick and roll and pick and pop.

There is no secret that Vučević struggled early in the season. He couldn’t find his shot, and just looked lost defensively. It took him some time to find his rhythm, and then he ended up in the COVID protocols. Which further slowed down the team chemistry, however, it appeared Vooch put in quite a bit of work. Once he exited protocols he looked like an entirely different player.

Let’s take a look at some other input I received on Twitter, this one from @scouseviking97:

Another good point, Vučević has pretty much been a double double machine his entire career. There is no reason to harp on a guy going through a slump. It happens to a lot of athletes, no matter the sport. However, he has since figured it out. It wasn’t pretty there for quite a bit, but with him understanding his role, and hitting clutch shots late in games, the comfortability factor appears to be settling in nicely.

Let’s take a look at the OG Vooch lover @Roxy__Virginia’s opinion of the Vooch slander she’s seen:
“Vooch’s 21 start is a great example of a player where people had set expectations not understanding the larger scope of play. In the 8 full seasons Vooch played for the Magic they were above .500 one time. He led in rebounds every season and points for 5 of them. So now you’ve plucked arguably the stat leader for a suboptimal team and dropped him on a team with playoff opportunities and (now) LaVine, DeRozan, and Ball. An almost 180 in terms of playing style and requirements. Vooch is no longer required to put up 20/12 a night because he has 3 primary scorers along with him who will handle the bulk of the scoring. You also take Pat Williams out of the equation and you are the lone big man, another aspect of the game to work through.”

Talk that talk, Roxy. Several people harped all over Vooch throughout the first 11 games of the season. That he wasn’t doing enough, that he sucked, he’s slow, he doesn’t fit, etc. There was no patience, even with Lavine and Derozan being the main guys, everyone’s energy was focused on Vučević’s struggles. Its not like they were magnified, unless you went looking for them. Sure he missed some looks, he may have let a guy get by him, but that happens in basketball, *checks notes* more than 50% of the time. Coverage from Bleacher Nation @BN_Bulls and @PatrickKFlowers summed up Vooch’s absence against Golden State, the first game he missed in while in protocols:

Yes, its satire, but its also too on the nose. The team had 0 serviceable front court in that game, and Vooch was hugely missed. It showed what he brings to the team, not only in production, but his presence on the team. It was a tough watch during that stretch knowing Tony Bradley was the top option at the time. The Bulls went 4-3 in the stretch without Vooch, notably beating the Lakers and Clippers in back to back games. Would the W/L really have changed with Vooch? Who knows, but the results probably would’ve been closer in the losses.

Let’s take this opportunity to appreciate the player that Vučević is and will progress into, with this team. Billy Donovan and his staff have found ways to get him involved, and make it successful for the team. He is averaging 15.9 PPG, 11.6 RPG, and 3.3 APG in 28 games this season. That is very good for what this team needs, he doesn’t need to be the elite scorer for this team, he is able to just produce when he can and play solid basketball. This team is in 1st place and he has been a big part of it. So have patience, there are 47 games left in the Bulls season, let’s enjoy the season.

P.S. Don’t forget to vote Demar Derozan, Zach Lavine, and Nikola Vučević for the NBA All-Star Game this year!

Sam