Bulls late-game defense is a woeful circus ... 'Dancing Bears' and all

NEW YORK — It was once a cute nickname for Guerschon Yabusele: “The Dancing Bear.”

The problem is that was a few years, as well as a few croissants ago, for the French-born forward/center.

Now, he just goes by “Le Bear.”

Good decision.

Then there’s 6-foot-11 Nick Richards, who has shot blocking in his DNA, evident by two five-block games in 2023, but is a role player and limited scoring threat.

Yet, he’s the best option for Bulls coach Billy Donovan to close with in crunch time.

So to call the late-game defensive issues a concern since the Bulls took on a roster flip after last Thursday’s trade deadline is a disservice. It’s been a flat-out catastrophe, and no, there’s no Nikola Vucevic to point the finger at.

Exhibit A, not awful considering it was the night of the final trade pieces being moved in Toronto and an undermanned roster went out against the Raptors in the final stanza, getting outscored 23-19 in the fourth (12-10 in the paint), while Toronto totaled a 41% field goal percentage to the Bulls’ 33%.
No biggie.

Exhibit B? A big issue. Denver not only outscored the Bulls 39-16 in the fourth quarter on Saturday but owned the paint 22-8. And it was easy, as the Nuggets shot 69% from the field in the final 12 minutes compared to the Bulls’ 29%

Then came Exhibit C on Monday in Brooklyn, as closing time was again a problem on the defensive end. The lowly Nets outscored the Bulls 34-26 overall in the fourth, and 22-12 in the paint. They shot 60% from the field compared to the Bulls’ 40%.

Richards did show some rim protection in the third, which led to some fastbreak baskets on the other end, as the Bulls got back into the game, but the defensive breakdowns and communication issues were glaring in winning time.

“It’s an unprecedented situation we’re in right now and I told those guys that we’ll have choices to make,” Donovan said. “If we just think we’re going to have guys come together without a training camp and just win basketball games it doesn’t work that way. We’re going to have to show a level of resiliency and toughness to expedite some of this stuff.”

That’s why he wasn’t pointing the finger at Richards and Yabusele as culprits for the ease in which opposing teams are turning the rim into a turnstile. While Jalen Smith (calf) and Zach Collins (toe) are still in street clothes, the only size Donovan has are the two new guys.

What he’s asking for is his guards to help out by being more physical and disruptive on the ball. It starts there.

“I do think with Jaden (Ivey), Anfernee (Simons), Collin (Sexton), Rob (Dillingham) … we’re going to have to be more disruptive,” Donovan said. “Our guards have to be better on the ball defensively. They’ve just got to be more physical on the ball. That would help with the size and the rolls at the rim.”

Message heard but can it now be executed?

Tre Jones is one of the better deflectors of the ball on the team but likely won’t be back until after the break with an ailing hamstring.

That means it falls on the new guards to step up.

“We’re just not getting into the ball,” Ivey admitted. “I think that’s where we can be more effective. We play small-ball lineups, it will be better if we can kind of dictate the ball, where we want it to go. Not let them get where they need to go on the court. That alone will cover up on some mistakes as far as the big men. If we can get into the ball, make more reads defensively, just use our hands.”