A tough conversation is coming.
Maybe not Monday when the Bulls host the Lakers or even Wednesday in Indiana, but very soon.
The nip-and-tuck 114-111 win over Boston on Derrick Rose Night was just the latest reminder of that, as guard Kevin Huerter hit a corner three with just one second left to break the tie and deliver a fourth straight win.
The Bulls have suddenly been good lately. Not great, but good. And good always seems to be enough when it comes to this front office. A big reason for the uptick, however, is Jalen Smith’s emergence, specifically since he’s been put in the starting lineup because of injuries to Coby White and then Josh Giddey.
Both players have returned, although Giddey is still on a 24-minute restriction, so hasn’t started the last two games. That means the Smith-Nikola Vucevic tandem has been able to continue cooking.
Coach Billy Donovan said on Saturday that Giddey was getting closer to returning to his starting spot, so who is the odd player out?
It won’t be White, who is arguably the best scorer. It can’t be Vucevic, the team’s best big. Isaac Okoro is the only wing defender the starting unit has, and they aren’t looking to stunt the development of Matas Buzelis, so who then?
“Those are going to be decisions that are going to have to happen,” Donovan admitted. “That’s a hard look and we have to take a look at that because the metrics of Vooch and Jalen together have been really, really good. It’s helped us from a rebounding standpoint both offensively and defensively, it’s given us rim protection and size. I think Jalen has played really well.”
Smith emerged in November when Donovan finally leaned into a two-big look in his lineup, but he used it off the bench with Smith and Zach Collins. Once Collins went down with a toe injury, Donovan tried to stagger Smith and Vucevic to keep size on the floor at all times.
The injuries piled up, however, and he had no choice but to start Smith alongside Vucevic. It’s more than clicked, as the two have developed a really good chemistry.
“Before Zach went down, the combination was more Zach and Jalen, but Jalen and Vooch have done really well,” Donovan added. “I think we have to look to play big. It’s been something that’s been productive and quite honestly, it’s the combination of those two guys that have been the best in terms of plus/minus analytically.”
The Bulls (23-22) are now 6-2 in Smith starts.
As for Huerter, just another step forward for a team still competing for more than play-in status.
“Hopefully it means we’re building, starting to do the right things,” Huerter said of the latest win. “We’re just finding a rhythm, finding a consistency.”
Hammy slammy
The news that Tre Jones would be sidelined with a left hamstring strain on Friday wasn’t great, but Donovan did paint a brighter picture a day later, pointing out that it didn’t seem to be as bad as Giddey’s left hamstring strain was.
“I think when Josh first had it he felt a real tightness, like in the beginning,” Donovan said. “I don’t think (Jones) feels bad. He hasn’t run or done anything like that. They’ll start to do that just to see where he’s at. There is some hope and optimism that after these two weeks, he’ll be able to get a few games in (before the All-Star Break).”
More Mr. Smith
After his latest 14-point performance against Boston, Smith has now scored in double figures for seven consecutive games. That tied the longest such streak of his career (accomplished last with Phoenix) and was his longest such streak as a Bulls player.