The Chicago Bulls scored a quality lead executive quickly after beginning their interview process earlier this week. Arturas Karnisovas, the right-hand man of Denver Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, is expected to strike a deal to become the new Bulls executive ice president of basketball operations.
That position comes with plenty of challenges, including what to do with the roster at hand — one that only managed 22 wins this season before the hiatus.
The Bulls have been riddled with injuries, with nearly every starter going down for a significant portion of time. Otto Porter Jr., Wendell Carter Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn, and even Zach LaVine have been out for relatively large stretches, keeping Chicago from being at full force for most of the season.
Couple that with rigid but inconclusive coaching from Jim Boylen, and the Bulls have been unable to take the leap they were expected to at the beginning of the 2019-20 season.
Karnisovas has had some great success drafting for the Nuggets, getting his hands on Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and most recently Michael Porter Jr. But his keen eye goes beyond prospects and into how to make the best out of his team.
The move to make Jokic the starter and eventually ship out Jusuf Nurkic happened under his watch, and those are the same types of decisions that the Bulls will need to make when evaluating fringe starters like Tomas Satoransky, Thaddeus Young, and potentially even Markkanen.
Karnisovas recently received some praise from former boss Daryl Morey, who hired him as an international scout back in the day:
“Arturas is one of the best executives in the NBA. I’m so happy he is getting this opportunity,” said Morey, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “He was instrumental in our success. I’m also thrilled he’s in the East now!”
Karnisovas' best attribute isn't his trigger finger, it is his watchful eye — and that's something he should put in motion the minute he arrives at the United Center.
The first step is to evaluate the roster at hand and decide who to keep and who should go. The Bulls still have some talented pieces in LaVine, Carter, Porter (big player option), Dunn (restricted free agent), and Coby White. Markkanen is likely better than he showed this season and is eligible for an extension in the offseason.
Depending on how and when free agency is held (before or after the NBA Draft), Karnisovas might have a real chance at retooling the roster instead of blowing it up to smithereens.
They key of it all should start with the decision-making, and that includes assessing Jim Boylen's job and his influence on this roster. Conventional wisdom would suggest Boylen's coaching hasn't been up to par, and his long practices and old-school approach have been known to irritate a few players.
If Karnisovas has to make something detonate upon his arrival, it should start with the man at the helm, not the team itself.
Follow Us
Subscribe