Handing Out Team Awards for the Chicago Bulls

Although the Bulls largely lacked a true superstar for most of this season, Coby White proved to be the most valuable player on the team. The Bulls were one of the league’s hottest teams in the season’s last two months. They finished with a 15-7 record in the last 22 games, and White was a huge factor in this late-season success.

Once Zach LaVine was traded to Sacramento, White’s numbers skyrocketed to an All-NBA level. Over the last two months of the season, White averaged 26 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. This run was highlighted by an impressive feat where White became the second Bull ever to earn two consecutive Eastern Conference Player of the Week nominations, joining the company of Michael Jordan.

If he keeps up this level of play into next season, White is a virtual lock to be named an All-Star. The biggest battle White faced this season was some struggles with consistency. Regardless, White’s improvement over the past two seasons has earned him the title of the most valuable player in Chicago.

Most Improved Player: Josh Giddey

Josh Giddey takes home this award, as his performance this season shifted the narrative around his career trajectory. Before getting traded to the Bulls this summer, Giddey was viewed as a liability on defense and a poor outside shooter. This ultimately made the Thunder decide to part ways with him and trade him for Alex Caruso, a trade that upset many Bulls fans at the time of the deal.

Giddey’s career as a Bull got off to a disappointing start. In the first 46 games, Giddey only averaged 11.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. However, his numbers improved in every major stat category after LaVine left for Sacramento. Giddey averaged 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game over the final 24 games. He recorded a field goal percentage of 49.5% and shot 45.7%  from three.

Adjusted for a full season, Giddey recorded career highs in both points and assists, as well as overall and three-point shooting percentage. Giddey even made strides on defense, averaging 1.2 steals per game and better utilizing his length to contest shots in the passing lane. The improved play on both ends of the ball has put the Bulls in a position where they need to extend Giddey this offseason. With Giddey approaching restricted free agency, the Bulls need to commit to his development and lock him up to a long-term deal.

Defensive Player of the Year: Jalen Smith

Defense was a struggle for this team all year, with the team ranking 19th in overall defensive rating. However, Jalen Smith was the team’s most versatile defender this season and deserves to bring home this award.

Smith averaged 4.2 defensive rebounds per game and finished the season with a 112.0 defensive rating. This marked a significant improvement from his time in Indiana, with his defensive rating last year being at 116.9. Despite playing just 15 minutes per game, Smith made the most of his opportunities by guarding both big men in the paint and guards. He locked down pick-and-roll offenses well and adjusted defensive schemes whenever necessary. In just his fifth season, the defensive strides made by Smith are inspiring and leave room for further growth next season.

Rookie of the Year: Matas Buzelis

This team award goes to Matas Buzelis, the only rookie on the team to receive significant playing time. However, despite the lack of competition within the team, Matas looked like a building block for the future and a steal at the 11th overall pick. Matas’ career got off to a frustrating start with a minutes restriction from coach Billy Donovan that held him to 13.3 minutes per game in the first 47 games of the season. Due to low playing time, he averaged 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game.

However, like the rest of the team, things changed once LaVine headed to Sacramento in early February. Two games after the trade, Matas shot a perfect 10-for-10 from the field to put himself on the map. He scored 24 points against the Heat on Feb. 4, leading the team to a 133-124 victory.

With LaVine out of town, Matas’ minutes then increased from 13.3 to 26.9 per game. With a full workload, his numbers jumped to 13.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. If Matas were to have played this many minutes all season, he would place himself firmly in the Rookie of the Year mix and receive more than a single third-place vote. He had the sixth-most points among rookies following the All-Star break and made a name for himself by earning a selection in the Slam Dunk Contest.

Despite the lack of media recognition, Matas established himself as a potential star in the second half of his rookie year. He confirmed to the front office, coaches, and fans that he is the guy to center a rebuild around.

Clutch Player of the Year: Josh Giddey

For the last award, Josh Giddey takes home a second award as he had the most highlight-reel plays on the team. Giddey’s most clutch moment came against the Lakers on Mar. 27. In the final seconds of the game, Giddey drilled a 47-foot buzzer-beater from half court to propel the Bulls to a 119-117 win. Giddey’s shot marked the first game-winning buzzer-beater for Chicago since Dec. 2022, when Ayo Dosunmu sank a shot at the rim to defeat the Hawks 110-108.

Another notable clutch moment came against the Knicks on Feb. 20. Giddey sank a clutch three-pointer to tie the game at 97 points late in the fourth quarter. This shot kept the Bulls in the game as the contest ended up going to overtime. Giddey’s late-season surge boosted team morale with special moments like these. His ability to sink shots and keep the team in games this year makes him the team’s most clutch player.

The Last Word

Despite a slow start and a disappointing early exit from the play-in, many individual performances stood out this season to make it a memorable one. White, Giddey, and Matas established themselves as a potential “Big Three” core for the future. While team awards are unfortunately not an official honor, these guys make excellent selections for each category.