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Report cites "point guard" as the Chicago Bulls' biggest hole

"If the Bulls can't find a floor general—internally or otherwise—soon, this core could crumble"
Stephen Beslic|
© Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

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Chicago Bulls

Other teams have donut-sized holes in the middle due to the NBA's scarcity of quality centers. The Chicago Bulls, though, have a massive gap in the point guard position that could make or break their future. According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, “If the Bulls can't find a floor general—internally or otherwise—soon, this core could crumble.”

Still missing Lonzo

The Bulls have yet to recover from losing two-way point guard Lonzo Ball. And from the way things have gone, it appears they may never be able to fill the gap. With Ball leading the charge, the Bulls held a 27-13 record until that fateful January day when the former UCLA star went down with a knee injury and has never been seen on the court since. 

With Ball sidelined, the Bulls have amassed a mediocre 59-65 mark. Chicago has a handful of options, but none have been able to take over Ball’s role as the team's primary ball handler and leader on the court.

“Chicago has candidates to fill the void. Coby White quietly made significant progress as a passer and defender last season. Newcomer Jevon Carter is a dogged defender and low-maintenance offensive player. Ayo Dosunmu exceeded expectations as a rookie, so he could conceivably do so again while bouncing back from a disappointing sophomore season.But those players aren't Ball. And until proven otherwise, all evidence suggests this club can't climb out of the Association's middle class without its hobbled lead guard,” Buckley wrote.

Core’s last dance

The Chicago's front office has doubled down on this Bulls' core. However, as starting center Nikola Vucevic emphasized, this may be their last chance to do something great together.

“If the Bulls can't find a floor general—internally or otherwise—soon, this core could crumble. DeMar DeRozan is on the final season of his contract, and Zach LaVine has seen his name bounce around the trade rumor mill already. If Ball's absence continues to hover over this team, major moves are almost certainly on the horizon,” Buckley added.

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Stephen Beslic
STEPHEN BESLIC

Stephen Beslic is a writer on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Stephen played basketball from the age of 10 and graduated from Faculty of Economic and Business in Zagreb, Croatia, majoring in Marketing.

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