The Joke Isn't Vučević's Comment, It's the Bulls' Stance on Giannis
- Drew Stevens (@Drew_H_Stevens)
- 16 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Nikola Vučević joked about Giannis Antetokounmpo after Saturday’s 112-103 loss, but the idea that the Chicago Bulls wouldn’t chase the Milwaukee Bucks superstar isn't a laughing matter.
When asked about Antetokounmpo’s windmill dunk on the final play of the game, Vučević referenced an earlier report from longtime local sports reporter Lou Canellis, which suggested the Bulls weren’t interested in trading for the two-time MVP.
“I assume Giannis was mad about that report…and he wanted to prove a point.”
Whether executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas could cobble together a package enticing enough to pry Antetokounmpo away from the Bucks is beside the point. The bigger concern is his commitment to this core and the direction he believes the team is heading.
After all, the Bulls find themselves outside of the playoff picture once again. And while they’re just 2.5 games behind the fourth-place Orlando Magic, they’re playing with the efficiency of a 35-win team.
Excluding Noa Essengue, whose rookie season was cut short by a shoulder injury, the team’s core — Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu — has been outscored by 22.9 points across 84 non-garbage time possessions when's it's played together.
That isn’t a foundation. It’s a banana peel.
The Bulls have resigned themselves to drafting late lottery picks and have been unable to attract top-tier talent in free agency. So to pass on the opportunity to discuss Antetokounmpo — who, even at 30, is averaging 28.9 points on a career-best 64.1% shooting,10 rebounds and 5.8 assists, and helping the Bucks outscore their opponents by 19.3 points when he’s on the floor — is all the more criminal.
Karnišovas, who’s known to get squirrelly during games, would sooner suffer in quicksand while watching his team struggle than address speculation.
But if what Canellis claims is true, the Bulls are even less ambitious than many have feared.
Sometimes, you have to laugh to keep from crying.
Maybe Vučević was on to something…