Scoring is the name of the game in the NBA, but defense truly does win championships. In fact, since 2000, just two champions have finished the regular season ranking outside of the Top-10 in defensive rating.
This season, the Chicago Bulls find themselves 28-16 and currently tied atop of the Eastern Conference standings with the Miami Heat, but defense has been a big question mark for them.
There is no denying that Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic make up one of the best scoring trios in the league and key secondary talents like Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Coby White, and rookie Ayo Dosunmu have helped lift this team to having the fourth-best offensive rating in the league, but the Bulls rank just 20th in the league in defensive rating.
Early on in the season, Chicago did look like one of the better two-way teams in the league and a lot of their success was coming from their contributions on the defensive end of the floor, but injuries have really hurt the Bulls’ chances of finding success on defense.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Chicago Bulls Willing To Trade Coby White At Deadline?
Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and Patrick Williams are the three-best defenders on this team and all three players have missed a chunk of time so far this season. Caruso has only played in 28 games and just returned to the rotation after dealing with health protocols and a foot injury, Ball is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing a procedure on his left knee, and Williams has been out since Oct. 28 after undergoing wrist surgery.
Patrick Williams being out has really hurt this team, as they really have not been able to replace his production and size on the wing. In his second season, Williams is still growing and maturing as a player, but standing 6’7” with a 7’0” wingspan, he is an impact defender that can guard numerous positions.
Both Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso have been great on-ball defenders for this team, but neither one of them can stack up against some of the best talents in the Eastern Conference like Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jimmy Butler.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Chicago Bulls Willing To Trade Coby White At Deadline?
The Chicago Bulls are certainly a real title threat in the Eastern Conference this season, but they still seem like they are missing something. The trade deadline is now under three weeks away and while Patrick Williams is set to return at some point during the second half of the season, the Bulls could really use another impactful wing defender right now.
Being just $4.6M under the tax line this season and not having any trade exceptions, the Bulls’ options are limited, but here are three defensive-minded trade targets for them to consider at the trade deadline.
