Feb. 25--John Wall noticed something different about the Bulls offense.
"Usually the ball would be in Derrick Rose's or Jimmy Butler's hands. Without those guys, there is a lot more ball movement and a lot more guys being free," Wall said after his Wizards' loss to the Bulls on Wednesday. "They played with a lot more pace than we thought they would."
Doug McDermott noticed it, too, citing the Bulls' assist totals of 32, 30 and 26 over the last three games -- the first two of which, it should be noted, came with Rose in the lineup but no Butler.
"He's not really even calling plays," McDermott said of coach Fred Hoiberg. "We're flowing into sets that get our shooters out to the corner quicker and get our big men involved. You can tell he's excited with the way things are going. It's unselfish. Everyone is really benefiting from it. So it's great to see."
The trick, of course, is can the Bulls play this way when Rose and, more importantly, Butler return? Butler has carved out back-to-back All-Star seasons with indispensable two-way talent, but his offensive preference is to stop the ball and work in isolation.
"A lot of times when you're out, you pick up on things," veteran Mike Dunleavy said. "I know Jimmy is watching stuff. Hopefully, we can mix in some of the ball movement stuff with the stuff that he's so good at. You can't just strictly go away from him."
Indeed, it's foolish to suggest the Bulls are better without Rose and Butler despite a 6-2 record without the former and a 4-4 mark without the latter. Rose is the type of athletic force that can break down defenses geared to stop him. And Butler may prefer isolation but has added a screen-and-roll element to his game and has three double-digit assist games this season.
Plus, isolations happen in the NBA. Michael Jordan was pretty good at them while playing in -- and sometimes veering away from -- the vaunted triangle offense.
"With guys out, especially Jimmy, there's one less guy we can just rely on to get the ball to and have him get a shot," Dunleavy said. "There's a sense that we have to move the ball in order to get a good shot. The hardest thing to guard is stuff that's random. You call (plays) out, the other team knows what it is. We're trying to play freely, flow, play off each other. Out of timeouts, we'll call some sets for guys. You need both."
It shouldn't be surprising that the Bulls' recent mini-resurgence offensively has come with Dunleavy's minutes rising as he assimilates his way back after offseason back surgery. Beyond his numbers, which have featured back-to-back, double-digit outings, his presence alone helps pace and space.
"He always knows where to be," Hoiberg said. "He spaces the floor. He knows what to do against pressure. With he and Doug out there together, you've got two very good players at reading screens and curling and flaring and reading situations."
Indeed, McDermott has thrived of late, averaging 15.7 points on 57.6 percent shooting over his last six games. The second-year forward cited Dunleavy as an influence.
"When I'm on the bench, I'm always watching Mike and what he's doing. He's someone I can really learn from," McDermott said. "He has a bunch of little tricks that people may not notice."
McDermott apparently also has mastered Dunleavy's art of self-deprecation.
"I feel like I'm taking a big step forward from my rookie year. Obviously, that's not very tough to do," McDermott cracked.
But seriously, McDermott said he's playing better because he's moving well off the ball.
Better ball and player movement has been a trend in the three-game winning streak. Now the Bulls must prove they can play that style when their All-Stars return.
kcjohnson@tribpub.com
