Bulls will be 'work in progress' as they add Josh Giddey, Tre Jones back to the fold

The last time Bulls guards Josh Giddey (hamstring) and Tre Jones played, Coby White was in the backcourt and Nikola Vucevic manned the center position.

With an active trade deadline that saw the Bulls acquire Rob Dillingham, Collin Sexton, Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons, the team is in the process of reintegrating Jones and Giddey with their new players.

“It’s a work in progress,” said acting head coach Wes Unseld Jr., who coached Thursday’s game in place of Billy Donovan. “There’s a comfort level with [Giddey and Jones] having been with us, and then getting them back with the new guys, finding that synergy. They’re starting to feel each other out.”

Unseld said that Giddey and Jones have started making comments on who they would like to be paired with, and that the two would be on a minutes restriction. These remaining 26 games are important in seeing who the Bulls want to keep around in the next phase of executive vice president of basketball operations Artutras Karnisovas’ plan.

Size disadvantage

The Bulls were already at a size disadvantage before the trade deadline, and they’re certainly facing an uphill battle after acquiring an abundance of guards.

The Bulls aren’t going to get taller or stronger over the last portion of the season, leaving the coaching staff to get creative with their defensive coverages. They can start blitzing pick-and-rolls, picking up full court or having the roll man play more at the level of the screen rather than in a traditional drop coverage.

“We’re going to have to try and do different things, pressure, try to junk the game up at times, keep teams off balance,” Unseld said.

The Bulls entered Thursday ranked 29th in opponents’ turnover percentage (12.3%). They haven’t been a very aggressive defense because of their lack of size and rim protection in the paint. With Nick Richards and Jalen Smith as their only nominal centers, the Bulls will have to be more of a pressing defense to compensate.

Second-year forward Matas Buzelis likely will take on more defensive responsibility. He has proven to be an imposing shot-blocker while serving as a weak-side defender. He has improved his reading of opposing offenses, which has allowed him to react quicker and use his long wingspan to rack up steals, deflections and be a rim deterrent for a team that desperately needs one.

“[Buzelis has] done a better job of keeping those small, quicker, athletic wings and guards in front,” Unseld said. “We keep putting it on him, as far as increasing his workload, his retention to that side of the ball.”

Home cooking

The Bulls began a seven-game homestand Thursday. The Bulls don’t play their next road game until March 5 in Phoenix. For such a new group trying to find its way together, this time at home could be beneficial.

“Oh, definitely,” Dillingham said. “Because we’re not on the road as much, [then] we all can be closer together. While we’re at home, [we can] get some wins and get some home-field advantage with the fans.”