Bulls take a short-sighted approach in loss to Raptors

As soon as Bulls guard Rob Dillingham's turnover led to a Brandon Ingram three-pointer and a Bulls timeout, you knew that he would be coming out of the game.

The Bulls made clear they were prioritizing their veteran guards on Thursday. Dillingham was the 11th man, and guard Jaden Ivey did not play in the Bulls' 110-101 loss against Toronto.

Dillingham is used to playing under a microscope. He was drafted No. 8 overall to an ascending Timberwolves team that made the Western Conference Finals during his rookie year. Every mistake was magnified given the championship aspirations.

“That's kind of the situation I've been going through since I got into the NBA,” said Dillingham, who played 10 minutes on Thursday. “I just try to figure out what's the best way I can impact the game in whatever minutes I get.”

But, in Chicago, he was supposed to be removed from those lofty expectations. The Bulls were supposed to afford Dillingham a runway to explore his immense offensive talents. In the last game before the All-Star break, Dillingham played a season-high 30 minutes and scored 16 points.

Dillingham and Ivey were the two promising players the team acquired at the deadline, so seeing them receive scarce or no playing time was weird. Acting coach Wes Unseld Jr. said Ivey’s DNP was a “basketball decision.” Ivey said he was healthy and practiced in full before Thursday’s game.

“I was prepared to play,” Ivey said. “I think [the guards] were up in the air as far as who was going to play.”

The outcome of games should be secondary for the Bulls at this juncture. The goal at the trade deadline was to escape the dreaded middle the franchise seemed destined for each year. But the coaching staff not prioritizing the two young guards they added shows a lack of foresight and isn’t instilling any confidence for a fan base growing restless.

But with the roster at full strength, Dillingham didn’t enter the game until the 2:18 mark of the first quarter. Ivey was relegated to the bench until the second quarter. Minimizing Ivey and Dillingham’s roles does no good for the Bulls going forward. Ivey will be a restricted free agent this summer, and the Bulls have to make a decision on Dillingham’s third-year option in the fall.

Dillingham talked when he first came to Chicago about how he lost his confidence in Minnesota. He’s an imperfect player who’s defense will always be scrutinized because of his small stature. But he’s a dynamic offensive talent who can break his man down off the dribble. Dillingham showed both what makes him a tantalizing offensive player and so maddening.

He drilled a fourth-quarter three as the Bulls had trimmed the Raptors' double-digit lead to single digits, and he also turned the ball over which led to a Ja'Kobe Walter three and forced the Bulls to call timeout and yank Dillingham from the lineup.

It’s far too early to determine if Dillingham or Ivey is worth keeping beyond their current contracts, but playing them is the only way to find out.

Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said one of his goals heading into the trade deadline was acquiring players who would mesh with the core of forwards Matas Buzelis, Noa Essengue, and Giddey. Dillingham said he enjoys playing off the ball, having gained ample experience at Kentucky alongside guards Reed Shepphard and DJ Wagner. He nailed a three-pointer in the fourth while sharing the court with Giddey and noted Giddey's propensity for creating open shots.

Seeing how Ivey and Dillingham mesh with Giddey and Buzelis should be prioritized going forward despite the abundance of guards on the roster.

The Bulls’ front-office brass has created this logjam at the guard position that is going to leave at least one player on the outside looking in on any given night. It’s a predicament created by the front office that the coaches and players have to make the best situation of.

The Bulls are now 1-10 over their last 11 games after Thursday's loss when they prioritized their veteran guards. Acquiring players like Dillingham and Ivey and not playing them is another half-measure for Karnisovas and the organization.