I looked at the box score for yesterday’s win over the Hornets. Here are Dragic’s stats from the game:

14 minutes, 0 points (0-1 FG), 4 assists, 0 rebounds

He hasn’t scored more than 9 points since December 28th. That’s also the last time Donovan played him for over 17 minutes.

He’s clearly not viewed as a key piece of the bench anymore. In fact, I’d argue that right now, there are only 3 guys off the bench who Donovan seems to consistently like: AC, Coby and DJJ.

This leads to my big question…why can’t Dalen crack this rotation?

There are three possible answers to this question.

1) There’s a positional logjam

2) He’s not looking good enough

3) Donovan doesn’t want to give minutes to a rookie

Option #1 is a feasible answer, but it’s not an acceptable one. First of all, AK and Billy love to talk about positional flexibility. That should free up any potential logjam. Second of all, there just aren’t enough quality players standing in Dalen’s way. We can’t see what Dalen for at least a few minutes per game because we’d rather have Dragic and his 6.9 ppg out there? Give me a break.

Option #2 is one that keeps getting brought up by others:

"He can’t see the floor? That must mean he’s not looking good"

This is just nonsense to me. He was one of the most exciting players on our team during the preseason. He’s looked solid in the G league. And whenever he does get the occasional garbage minute during a regular season game, he’s the most active player on the floor. He’s proven enough to at least get the chance at a small role in the rotation.

I tend to think a lot of the truth lies in Option #3. The Bulls view themselves as a playoff team. It’s apparent whenever Billy or the players speak. They don’t think they’re a mediocre team destined for the 10th seed. They think they’re a good team that’s just struggling to find consistency. And good teams with serous playoff aspirations don’t usually play rookies that much.

This is where the lack of self-awareness is really hurting the Bulls. They’re not a good team. They’re a below average team that desperately needs a major makeover. And since no generational superstars are walking through the door, the only option for real change is a youth movement.

And this is why I’m so vocal about playing Dalen. This team needs a youth movement and currently has very few ways to achieve this. They need draft picks. This will require trades. And they need to shift their focus towards the young guys on this roster. This requires not wasting the rookie year of your most recent top 20 draft pick.

My message to AK and Billy is this: Become self-aware. Embrace a youth movement. Play Dalen.