There are moments where the Bulls come across as a very unserious organization.
Unfortunately, that is happening more frequently, especially this season.
Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas recently appeared in a safe space, jumping on the “Gimme the Hot Sauce Podcast” to talk about the journey out of mediocrity, reiterating the same rhetoric that he did on back in the fall on Media Day and again after the trade deadline came and went.
“After the season I think we’re going to focus on the draft of 2025,” Karnisovas said. “I know we’re going to get a good player.”
Stop the interview right there.
The hosts didn’t but should have.
Thanks to another should-of-lost win Friday against Toronto, the Bulls held strong to that beloved 10th and final play-in spot that Karnisovas seems to covet so much, and stayed locked into the eighth-worst overall record.
That means if nothing changes in the lottery, the same front office that is less than 50-50 in hitting on draft prospects was willing to already come out and insist, “I know we’re going to get a good player.”
Is Duke 7-foot-2 big Khaman Maluach a good player?
What about UConn forward Liam McNeeley or Maryland center Derik Queen?
Those are the players most likely in the crosshairs for that spot of the draft order.
Are they good? Maybe. Are they Duke standout Cooper Flagg? Not even close. There’s a strong argument that after the Rutgers duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey – likely No. 2 and No. 3 respectively – the drop is significant.
But this is the world the Bulls have chosen to live in the last week. One in which they value meaningless wins over significance.
Blowing out Philadelphia to start the week was almost unavoidable, especially with how checked out that roster appeared to be after finding out that Joel Embiid was likely out for the season. News that came later in the week.
The overtime win against an 18-42 Raptors squad that began the season making their mission statement of tanking very public, however? Indefensible.
If it was rookie Matas Buzelis that scored 15 fourth-quarter points to outscore the Raptors 29-20 in that final stanza to send it to overtime, no issues. Watching Coby White do it, and the same Coby White that might not even be in the plans beyond the summer? Just the latest head-shaker in a season full of head-shaking.
And it wasn’t White’s fault. He’s paid to score and win games.
It sure wasn’t Billy Donovan’s fault. The coach admitted that in organizational meetings throughout the season not one person from ownership or the front office has told him to put the breaks on in close games and play the young guys for “development” purposes.
This again all falls on Karnisovas and his inability to value odds.
The Bulls currently sit with a 6% chance to hit No. 1 and land Flagg. They are 6.3% to hit on No. 2 and 6.7% for No. 3.
If they could somehow get to the No. 6 spot where Philadelphia suddenly looks to be nestling into the odds go to 9% for Flagg, 9.2% for No. 2 and 9.4% for No. 3.
A divide that Karnisovas obviously doesn’t feel is a big enough gap to sacrifice competitive integrity.
What he better start realizing, however, is San Antonio – currently No. 9 – is sinking and has the eighth-toughest schedule remaining in the Association.
The Bulls can easily wake up next week and see the odds for Nos. 1, 2, and 3 sitting at 4.5%, 4.8%, and 5.2%, respectively.
That’s OK. After all, they beat Toronto.
A very unserious organization, indeed.