MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Artūras Karnišovas hopped on a Zoom call Thursday and spoke about his handpicked Chicago Bulls roster more like a proud father than an exasperated executive.
“Coby’s on a different planet right now,” the executive vice president of basketball operations said of starting point guard Coby White. “The way he’s playing, I would vote (him) for NBA Most Improved Player.”
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The man in the middle, center Nikola Vučević?
“Vooch has been our constant double-double machine,” Karnišovas said.
And star forward DeMar DeRozan?
“He’s our closer,” Karnišovas declared.
Injured and inconsistent fourth-year forward Patrick Williams even garnered unexpected praise.
“He was on a tear in the month of December, averaging 14 points,” Karnišovas said.
While the consensus among a restless fan base was for the Bulls to move in a different direction, the team’s chief basketball executive still hasn’t seen enough. For the third straight NBA trading deadline, Karnišovas defiantly did nothing.
“I just think that there are so many positive stories around this team,” he said. “The biggest thing for me is if you look at every option that’s out there to improve your team, we didn’t see anything that was going to make us better.
“We would take a step back, which we don’t want. We want to stay competitive. We have an obligation to this organization and to this fan base and to this city to stay competitive and compete for the playoffs. And that’s what we are doing.”
It’s a laudable strategy until you consider the long term, like, anything past April.
That’s essentially what drove a segment of fans on social media Thursday to float the idea of boycotting the Bulls. As their rivals demonstrate actual commitment to improving their rosters, the Bulls have largely only promised that they’re constantly looking. Management has stubbornly chosen to trot out the same product three consecutive seasons while lowering the bar from competing for a championship to clawing to qualify for the Play-In Tournament.
Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball, the team’s once-promising starting backcourt, are out for the season with injuries. Without them, there’s only so much damage the Bulls realistically can do in the playoffs, assuming they get there. It’s impossible not to view the franchise’s pursuit of, at best, a two-week postseason stay as shortsighted.
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Chicago owns its first-round draft pick this year, but it likely will fall outside the top 10. The Bulls also are bumping against the luxury tax and project to surpass it if they re-sign DeRozan and Williams this offseason. Trades are the only real vehicle the Bulls have to get better. And they keep kicking the can down the road, with no visible strategy beyond taking it one day at a time and hoping for the best.
Players are expected to play hard every night. Coaches get scrutinized every game about putting their players in the positions to succeed. Management, good management, is supposed to make everybody’s job easier with a lucid plan the team can understand and rally around.
DeRozan on the inaction from the Bulls’ front office:
“I’m willing to figure it out any way possible. That’s just the competitor in me. I never try to run or complain or, excuse my language, bitch when things get hard.” pic.twitter.com/Y4NzJyU2Z0
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) February 8, 2024
But just because Karnišovas isn’t doing what the fans want, and the results prove the Bulls need, doesn’t mean he’s not doing his job. He said Thursday he believes he’s doing what his bosses who own the franchise expect of him.
“I think so,” he said. “Since I came here to Chicago, I wanted to have a competitive team.”
Not the best. Not the worst. But a squad just good enough to keep a season interesting and entice fans to show up and cheer. It’s worth noting the Bulls again lead the league in attendance, averaging 20,273 fans. No one should be under any illusions about what’s being served.
“I’m selling a competitive group that is competing right now for the playoffs,” Karnišovas said.
After a 5-14 start, the Bulls are 20-13 since Nov. 30. They have a relatively favorable schedule down the stretch, which should help to inflate their final win total. It will make another injury-ravaged season appear respectable, and it will be. But only because the Bulls made the best of what they had.
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“The shake-up doesn’t guarantee you success,” Karnišovas said. “The words like ‘rebuild’ are thrown around … but that doesn’t guarantee success.”
Bulls coach Billy Donovan tried detailing some of the complexities Karnišovas must consider before green-lighting a reset. There are contracts to make work, roles that must be accepted, organizational fit and projected impact. Pivoting from proven players is always a tough job. The best executives do it masterfully.
“When you start talking about DeMar and you start talking about Alex Caruso,” Donovan said, “to me, Alex Caruso is one of the most valuable players in the NBA. I think you need to get a haul for him. Those players, a guy like Alex Caruso, just don’t grow on trees. Neither do the DeMar DeRozans. So when you give those guys up and those guys walk out the door, you have to accept that you’re taking a step back.
“When you have a lot of teams trying to potentially chase a player, it’s a pretty good indication you’ve got the right guy in your organization. And you want to make sure you maintain it.”
Karnišovas said he hopes to re-sign DeRozan, an unrestricted free agent this summer. It would be a precursor to Bulls basketball looking largely the same next season.
“I love DeMar,” Karnišovas said. “He’s huge for this team. For this city. For this organization. He’s been great for our young guys. He’s been our closer. So I think he’s wonderful for this team. Hopefully, when the time comes we have a chance to keep him.”
DeRozan compared the negotiations to a marriage.
“It’s, like, ‘What we need to do to work on this, baby? Let’s figure this thing out. You want me. I want you,’ ” he said. “The love is there.”
Karnišovas made that clear again Thursday, squeezing his assets tightly while shooing suitors away for a third straight deadline.
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A frustrated fan base can only hope the man who controls the franchise’s fate hasn’t become blinded by the ordinary team he’s built.
(Photo of DeMar DeRozan: Justin Ford / Getty Images)
