For the first time after arriving at Chicago, New Bulls Kevin Hunter, Tray Jones and Zach Collins finally felt as if they could breathe on Friday.
This week was somewhat strange entry in Chicago for trio, which had long been acquired in a three-team deal focused on Bulls Star Zach Lavin that had been going to Sacramento Kings. The three introduced themselves to their new colleagues in the locker room before Tuesday’s game against Miami Heat, then traveled to Minnesota for Wednesday’s game against Timberwells. But coach Billy Donovan opted to play him.
This stagnation gave the three time to achieve the bulls’ playing system, but offered the front office room to shop for potential trades before Thursday’s deadline. According to a league source, the bulls were not connected to the fully obtained players, but a deal never became physical.
So for three days, Hunter, Jones and Colins were trapped in Limbo. It was difficult to know how to pass time. Should they start learning playbook? Try to befriend those teammates who can become opponent again in a few hours? Finally, Colins worried about most of the time at that time.
“It was definitely crazy,” Colins said, who came to the bulls from San Antonio Spider with Jones. “You are sitting there, you don’t know what is happening, so you see a tweet or you see an Instagram post and you call your agent three times. Like you are, ‘someone tells me something. ‘ ,
Huerter, Jones and Colins are to live in Chicago – at least for now. After this season, both Hutar and Colins have a year left on their contracts, while Jones will become a free agent in this summer. Now, all three are focusing on playing a continuous role in Chicago after participating in their first practice on Friday morning.
The 27 -year -old coalins are the best position to crack rotation from jumping. The bulls require some frontcourt depth to help the center Nicola Wuviak start, and the versatility of the colins will fit into the aggressive system at a rapid pace.
Donovan plans to include colins by adding two-bigaries to the rotation. Donovan has used the look in the past – especially in the previous season with the former center Andre Drummond – but got away from it as the team embraced the fast of playing in this season.
As a guard, there is a difficult challenge ahead of Jones and Hunter. The roster now consists of nine guards. Kobi is a barely enough space for White and Ayo Dosunamu that touches with Josh Giddi and Lonejo Ball. And Donovan has aspired to put a ball in the hands of crooks Matas Buzelis more often in the last months of the season.
The Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Artras Kerniovas praised Jones as one of the only “net point guards” left in NBA.
“This is definitely a huge praise for my game,” Jones said. “Something I have been very proud of, a traditional point guard and when I am out of there, I am trying to organize crime, use my voice, become a leader.”
On the bulls, however, it is less than an discrepancy-the first guard giddy and the ball share point guard responsibilities. 25 -year -old Jones knows that he will need to provide versatility to earn time to play. But he is also bending into the familiarity of the roster – he was playing against Ayo Dosunamu, Kobi White and Patrick Williams and is originally a slot in the youth core in Chicago.
The 26 -year -old Hunter is embracing the change. When he was first traded in Kings from Atlanta Hawks in July 2022, the guard felt that he had a perfect fit for his style as a sharpshooter. But this season a roster overhaul changed the style of the game of Kings. Huerter’s role decreased-and similarly his 3-point shooting fell from 37.5% to 30.2% in his career.
By the time it reached by January, Hunter was expected to do a complete business. In Chicago, he aims to rule his shooting-he believes something that he believes that the bulls will be assisted by a fast book, free-flowing style.
“Sacramento was slightly up and down,” said Hunter. “I really didn’t get much opportunity in the last few months. Flow and the rhythm of the game, I think it was very tempering from the previous year-plus (in Sacramento). The fact is that we are going to play up and down here, the ball is going to the side, no one is really going to dominate the ball and we are not going to run the same action again and again – so Looks like it is a place in which I should be a better fit. ,
All three players are expected to make their bull debut on Saturday at the United Center against Golden State Warriors. Bulls can miss many major rotation players – the ball is sick and Jalan Smith missed the practice on Friday – leaving two possible holes to fill new players.
But Donovan stressed that Saturday would be the first game of a trial run, to see that this new-look roster-the most important thing, would be without Lavin.