So what’s the Bulls’ next move at point guard? Here are some options:
• Return to Michael Carter-Williams? The former rookie of the year was benched Jan. 24 after shooting just 2 of 12 over two games. Carter-Williams got another chance Friday in Houston when Jimmy Butler was sidelined by a heel contusion and the results were positive.
Carter-Williams finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists — all season-highs — and even shot well, going 11-for-18 from the field. He also provided a reminder that he’s the best defensive option at point guard and a guy who can give Butler a break sometimes.
Carter-Williams guarded Houston star James Harden most of the night. Few players are going to shut down Harden, but Carter-Williams made him work for his 42 points, helping force a 13-for-33 shooting night.
• Try Denzel Valentine? The Bulls recalled Valentine from the D-League on Saturday afternoon after he played in just two of the planned three games for the Windy City Bulls.
Valentine did a nice job of filling the box score during his D-League stint. While the Bulls were losing in overtime at Houston on Friday, Valentine led Windy City to an overtime win over the Westchester Knicks in New York.
Valentine finished with 34 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists and 6 turnovers. In his three games with Windy City in the past week, Valentine hit 21 of 39 attempts from 3-point range (53.8 percent).
The Bulls are the worst 3-point shooting team in the NBA, so that 3-point line is enticing if Valentine can keep the rest of his game under control.
• Stick with Jerian Grant? The idea behind moving Grant into the starting lineup is he’s a better long-range shooter than Carter-Williams and Rajon Rondo.
Maybe his presence as a 3-point threat has helped create space for Butler and Dwyane Wade, but Grant’s numbers tell a quiet story. In these past six games as a starter, Grant has averaged 7 points, 1.7 assists and 2.7 shots from 3-point range.
• Return Rondo to the starting lineup? This one probably won’t happen. Rondo seems to have embraced his role as captain of the second unit and it would be awkward to have him back with Wade and Butler after the recent comments by those three.
A couple more qualifiers here: The Bulls are 25-26 on the season and are pretty close to .500 with all three options at stating point guard.
They also tend to finish games without a point guard, putting the ball in Butler’s hands most of the time and trying to put what 3-point shooters they have on the floor, usually some combination of Doug McDermott, Nikola Mirotic and Paul Zipser.
Since the Bulls don’t use a point guard late, they might consider starting Valentine and using a lineup where he, Butler or Wade could take turns as the primary ballhandler. The D-League stint may have been a tryout of sorts for Valentine.
If coach Fred Hoiberg isn’t ready to go bold, a return to Carter-Williams seems to be in order. He adds elite athleticism to the Bulls’ lineup when he’s out there, which can be helpful in a variety of ways.
The Bulls’ third stop on the ice show road trip is Monday in Sacramento. Butler had an MRI on his heel and is considered day-to-day. Backup center Cristiano Felicio may miss a few games with an ankle injury suffered in the Houston game.
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