It's safe to say that the Chicago Bulls were one of the big winners in free agency. While all the discussion revolved around contending teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets, among others, the Bulls front office were able to lure in three incredible players: Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball, and DeMar DeRozan.
We can never really tell how these signings will pan out. We need to see a bunch of games to come up with a better judgment. But for the sake of discussion, let's grade these three signings and how they'll fare with the Bulls' goal of returning to playoff contention.
Alex Caruso: A+
Alex Caruso signing with a different team other than the Lakers was pretty much an unexpected move. After all, for all the trade rumors surrounding the team, many believe that Caruso was an untouchable piece. The man was a key piece of LA's 2020 title run, he showed great chemistry with LeBron James, and Frank Vogel heaped him with tons of praises as an X-factor. But if you've been a lifelong fan of the NBA, you know how narratives could suddenly make a crazy twist.
It was unfortunate that the Lakers couldn't keep the guard. It was smart of the Bulls to make a chase for him, though.
Head coach Billy Donovan will likely field Caruso as part of the second unit. Whatever the case may be, Bulls fans should expect the same high-IQ, high-octane brand of basketball that they saw from Caruso when he was in LA. It would be foolish to gauge Caruso's performance based on the numbers. He's just not the type of player who stuffs the stat sheets. Rather, the way to measure his production is by watching him play. The man is always at the right place at the right time on defense, he doesn't give up on plays, and he's really just good at this sport.
Of course, we can never discount the fact that he played with LeBron James—arguably one of the smartest players in league history. Apart from this, having a champion on your team just brings you all sorts of advantages on and off the court.
Lonzo Ball: A+
Just like Caruso, some may say that Ball was not expected to bolt the New Orleans Pelicans. The guard seemed the perfect fit for Zion Williamson. Just look at their highlight reel and the ridiculous amount of alley-oops they have shared. But the Pelicans wanted to go in a different direction. They agreed to a sign-and-trade with Ball at the center of the transaction.
Bulls fans should expect tons of connections between Ball and Zach LaVine. While LaVine has developed a complete package on offense, he has never lost his penchant for those nasty and graceful finishes at the ring. From a broader perspective, Ball will run the entire Bulls offense. He's a true point guard by nature, after all. Pick-and-pops with Nikola Vucevic will be one of their default plays. And of course, Ball has been developing that jump shot of his over the last few years.
When defenses collapse on LaVine, expect a wide-open Ball to knock down his jumpers. Who knows, Ball might even create his own shots this time around. Zo might be at the point of his development where he's comfortable enough that he'll unleash a step-back jumper here and there.
DeMar DeRozan: A+
The signings of Ball and Caruso were great. But the front office took things up a notch by acquiring four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade. In an era where 3-pointers have been heavily integrated into offenses, DeRozan has managed to not just survive but stand out with his deadly mid-range game.
Some say that his three-year stint with the Spurs were the “dark days” of his career. That's only because the Spurs only made the playoffs once. However, a look at DeRozan's numbers shows that he's still an automatic 20-point per night type of player. Not just that, but Gregg Popovich developed his passing game. So much so that DeRozan averaged a career-best 6.9 assists last season.
No doubt Billy Donovan can key on this new weapon in DeRozan's game. Bulls fans may see some pick-and-rolls with DeRozan and Vucevic. LaVine, who's been seeing all types of defenses thrown at him, will get a much-needed breather with DeRozan around. In fact, he may even find himself wide-open from deep whenever defenses collapse on the Compton native. Ball, too, will have a chance to unveil that jump shot of his.
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