This year, the Chicago Bulls missed out on the playoffs for the 4th straight time, which is the 3rd longest active playoff drought in the NBA (At least we aren’t the Kings). It’s been a long time since the Trio of Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, and Rajon Rondo gave fans hope with a 2-0 lead over the Celtics, only to lose the series 4-2.
While the Bulls try to find their way back into the dance in the coming years, many former members of the team are taking the court in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. With so many moving pieces over the last decade, there are a lot of former Bulls dispersed across the league, and some are making a big impact on their current team’s success.
Key Members of Their Team
Jimmy Butler
Butler spent 6 seasons with the Chicago Bulls before being traded to the Timberwolves, subsequently moved to the 76ers, and eventually found a home in Free Agency in Miami. He led them to the NBA Finals last year in the bubble, where he fell short to Lebron James and the Lakers. Last year Butler would have had his own tier in this exploration, but he has underperformed so far against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Miami Heat are in a historically insurmountable 3-0 series deficit, and Jimmy Butler has averaged just 15.3 points on an abysmal 31% from the field.
Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose had a very successful stint in Chicago, including an MVP and Eastern conference finals birth. Unfortunately, as we all know, Rose has dealt with constant injuries, but has finally found his way back to national prominence with his former coach Tom Thibodeau on the New York Knicks. Although he doesn’t have high-flying dunks or many flashy plays anymore, he has worked hard to acquire a consistent Jump Shot and displays rare flashes of his MVP self. With both Julius Randle and RJ Barret underperforming, Rose has taken a lead role averaging 24.3 points, 5 Rebounds, and 4.7 assists on a very efficient 51.7% from the field, 50% from 3, and is yet to miss from the free throw line. The Knicks are trailing the Hawks 2-1 in what seems like an evenly matched series.
Bobby Portis
Bobby Portis has made a solid career as a role player, and has played his role to the best of his ability for the Milwaukee Bucks. While he doesn’t put up huge numbers or get headlines written about him, he is a great floor spacer and enforcer for the Bucks, who have thus far exceeded expectations with a 3-0 lead over the Miami Heat. In the series, Bobby is averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds per game on 63% from the field and 50% from three.
Cameron Payne
I never expected to be including Payne on the top tier of this list, but he has proven himself as a very solid player on a contending team. With the banged up shoulder of Chris Paul, Payne has filled in and often kept Phoenix afloat against the Lakers. A couple of years ago, Payne seemed on his way out of the league, but after a good audition for the Suns in the Bubble, he earned a spot on the team and has made the most of it. In the first three games of the series, Payne is averaging 13 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals while hitting 47% of his threes as part of a 2-1 Series deficit to the Lakers.
Solid Role Players
Taj Gibson
While Gibson may not be putting up the same production and minutes as he was during his tenure with the bulls, he has played very solid and made some timely plays for the Knicks as part of the former Bulls’ trio in Rose, Gibson, and Coach Thibs. He has played solid defense against the Hawks bigs and secured nine crucial offensive rebounds over a three-game span, in which the Hawks lead Knicks 2-1.
Daniel Gafford
Daniel Gafford is a player many fans may want back after being moved at the trade deadline. He has handled backup center duties for the Wizards and continued his regular season success to the playoffs. He brings energy and athleticism off the bench, averaging 11.5 points and 6 rebounds on 90% (!!!) from the field. However, he has gotten in some foul trouble, and his fellow Wizards have been unable to keep up with the #1 seeded 76ers, recently falling to a 0-2 deficit.
Rajon Rondo
Rondo was a key member of the last Bulls’ playoff appearance, and has gained recognition as an elite playoff performer even in the twilight of his career. This year, he has entered the playoffs as a member of the Clippers, a year after winning the finals with the Lakers. Rondo has again had himself a solid start to the playoffs (7 points and 6.3 assists on 48.4% from the field and 41.7% from three), and is fighting to keep the Clippers alive against the Mavericks, currently trailing the series 2-1.
Tony Snell
This season, Snell became a part of the exclusive 50-50-100 shooting splits club (He’s the only member), and that shooting along with his consistent defense has kept him in the Hawks’ playoff rotation. His production is pretty minimal, but he has provided floor spacing and solid defense in 12.5 minutes per game for the Hawks thus far.
Robin Lopez
Lopez has displayed his patented Hook shot on the national stage, but along with the other Wizards centers has gotten in foul trouble and struggled to contain Joel Embiid. He has averaged 5 points in 11 minutes per game in the Wizard’s two losses to the 76ers.
Fringe Rotational Players
Jabari Parker, Shaquille Harrison, Kris Dunn, and Chandler Hutchison
Parker got picked up by the Celtics a few weeks before the playoffs, and has gotten some decent Playing Time with Jaylen Brown sidelined. He has added a nice scoring punch off the bench, but has been picked on by the Nets on the other end. With injuries to Jamal Murray and Monte Morris, Shaquille Harrison has gotten a chance to play a few minutes each game, providing energy and defensive tenacity off the bench. Dunn has yet to get minutes in this year’s playoffs, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets thrown in there at some point on the defensive end down the stretch of a game. Hutchison was traded alongside Daniel Gafford to the Wizards, and has slid to a fringe rotation member during the playoffs. The majority of his minutes were played in Garbage time in a game 2 blowout against the 76ers.
Benchwarmers/Injured
Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot (TLC), Max Strus, Luke Kornet, E’twaun Moore, Spencer Dinwiddie
TLC is buried behind a deep Brooklyn Nets roster, but has cheered them on from the sideline and may earn a Ring in the process. Max Strus has yet to play for the Heat, even in the midst of multiple Blowouts. Kornet was traded to Celtics as part of the move that landed the bulls Daniel Theis, Troy Brown jr, and Javonte Green; Kornet has just played a few Garbage time minutes and is on the outside looking in of a tight rotation. Moore has made a long career for himself as a three-and-d wing, and is now a member of the Phoenix Suns, where he has struggled to find minutes in their competitive series with the Lakers. Spencer Dinwiddie has been recovering from a partially torn ACL on December 27, but there may be a chance of Dinwiddie returning before the end of the Playoffs.