Being only a few months away from the season, the Chicago Bulls are still struggling to figure out Lonzo Ball’s situation. Recently reported, Lonzo Ball has still been experiencing discomfort when increasing his workload, per K.C. Johnson. With that being said, I believe Lonzo Ball won’t be ready by the start of the season. That means someone else will have to step up, but who? Which Chicago Bull will replace Lonzo Ball?
Who are the Candidates?
On July 13th, I had a Twitter poll that recorded 166 votes. Here were the results:
With the Bull’s deep roster, there are four reasonable candidates to consider to replace Lonzo Ball to start the season.
Coby White
Coby White receiving only 2% may be surprising considering he’s the second longest-tenured Bull and arguably the best scorer. However, there are reasons he received a lack of votes.
The Bulls starting lineup has plenty of scoring with LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic. They could use a distributor and unfortunately Coby White’s game is focused on his shooting and shot creation.
Not to knock on his talents, but he could be a number one scoring option off the bench, rather than worried about finding everyone their touches. This would be more beneficial for him and the team to come off the bench and be a microwave scorer.
Goran Dragic
The newest addition to the Bulls roster finds himself 3rd in the voting poll. With being 36 years old though, one may question his availability and fatigue.
Nevertheless, Dragic is expecting 20-25 minutes a night for the Bulls. Assuming that was a reason he signed with Chicago, it’s obvious the Bulls want to find a way to get him involved.
Goran Dragic is a veteran with plenty of experience. Not too long ago, he was a core piece to the Miami Heat’s run to the finals in 2020.
At the end of the day though, 20-25 minutes as a starter is not ideal. To add on, he is most likely the worst defender out of the four candidates. Like Coby White, his game could be better suited off the bench.
Alex Caruso
Alex Caruso was a great addition to what the Chicago Bulls want to be, which is a competitive team. Caruso was the only player this past season with championship experience (outside of Tristian Thompson). Alex stepped in and played any position that was asked of him throughout the year.
When at point guard, Caruso is a willing passer, a great defender, and has a high IQ. I would be completely fine with him as the starting point guard, apart from receiving the second place votes. I believe his biggest knack is that he is so valuable off the bench, playing any position necessary outside of center.
Ayo Dosunmu
Receiving 44% of the votes is the second-year player Ayo Dosumu. Ayo provides a little bit of everything with defense, playmaking, shooting, and shot creation.
Last year, Ayo Dosunmu started 40 games, stepping up in Lonzo’s absence. It’s clear he has instantly earned respect as a young player and can handle the playmaking responsibilities.
Ayo Dosunmu is my vote to start the season as well since he did a great job last season with taking over the responsibilities of defense and playmaking.
Moreover, an underrated reason why I believe he should start is due to being mentally tough. Last season, he stepped up in big moments and helped calm frustrated teammates. When a play didn’t go his way, Ayo Dosumu rarely argued with referees and had that “next play mentality”. I trust him to take the role, agreeing with 44% of voters and for good reasons.
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