The early returns of the NBA All-Star fan voting do not look good for the Chicago Bulls.
No Bulls player was listed in the first returns of fan voting, which will run until Jan. 20. While the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers are dominating the fan vote, actual selections could vary greatly — fan voting is only weighted as 50% of total voting. Media and player selections will also contribute to the final 2025 All-Star team rosters.
The Bulls have not sent a player to the All-Star game since 2023, when DeMar DeRozan was the team’s sole representative in the game. Last season broke a three-year streak of consecutive All-Star appearances from either DeRozan or Zach LaVine. The team’s lack of presence at the All-Star game has often been a visible reflection of a lack of relevance in the league at large.
This season, veterans LaVine and Nikola Vučević might be flying under the radar as potential selections for the All-Star game. Vučević is boosting his scoring with the best 3-point shooting season of his career. And LaVine is averaging the 12th-most points of any player in the Eastern Conference (ninth of backcourt players in the East) while showcasing his efficiency in a revised version of his role as the offensive leader for the Bulls.
All-Star starters will be announced on Jan. 23 and the reserve team will be announced on Jan. 30. This year’s All-Star game, played in San Francisco, will feature a new format involving a tournament of four eight-player teams. Three of those teams will consist of All-Stars while the fourth will be the winning team from the Rising Stars tournament for rookie, second-year and G League players.
Chicago Sky hire former Atlanta head coach Tanisha Wright
New Sky coach Tyler Marsh made his second addition to his bench this week, hiring former Atlanta Dream head coach Tanisha Wright as an assistant coach.
Wright is a 15-year veteran of the WNBA as a coach and a player. She helmed the Dream from 2021 before she was released by the team this fall following a 15-25 season. Wright was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2022.
Prior to Atlanta, Wright was an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Aces, although she departed for the Dream head coaching position before current Aces coach Becky Hammon — who was a crucial mentor to Marsh — took over the program. Wright will bring a variety of experience to Marsh’s bench including international scouting.
Ayo Dosunmu faces uncertain return timeline
The Bulls might have to fare without Ayo Dosunmu for an even longer stretch of the season than expected. The guard initially suffered a calf strain in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 23 and has been unable to progress to full-speed sprints after an extended 10-day period of rest.
Dosunmu ramped up to sprinting on a treadmill over the weekend but reported discomfort when attempting to reach full speed, coach Billy Donovan said. He will not attempt another ramp-up until next week. This means the Bulls could play at least five more games without Dosunmu, who has been a crucial defensive anchor and secondary point guard option for the Bulls this season.
In addition to his contributions on the court, Dosunmu is a key trade asset for the Bulls as they approach a crucial selling season ahead of the deadline in February. While he might not be the center of a trade offer, the Bulls could utilize Dosunmu’s considerable upside and favorable contract to sweeten a deal.
Before the injury, Dosunmu was averaging 12.6 points, 4.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game this season.
Illinois climbs to top 15 ranking
In a matter of weeks, the Fighting Illini clawed their way from being unranked to sitting just outside the top 10 in NCAA men’s basketball with a No. 13 ranking in the AP Top 25. This climb was bolstered by the team’s offensive thrashing of No. 15 Oregon, who they beat 109-77 last Thursday.
Illinois has won its last four games and posted a 3-1 start to the Big Ten season. And two of their three losses came at the hands of a higher-ranked opponent — a two-point loss to No. 1 Tennessee and an early season loss to No. 5 Alabama. Their lone Big Ten loss — an upset by Northwestern — will continue to sting. But Illinois is carving out a space for itself as a top contender in the conference, jostling with Indiana, Michigan and Michigan State for the top spot.
Number of the week: 4
Zach LaVine is the fourth most efficient 3-point shooter in the NBA. In big and inconsequential moments alike, LaVine just can’t seem to miss. He’s shooting 44.7% from behind the arc on 7.4 attempts per game.
This is a somewhat muted volume despite the high rate at which the Bulls are shooting the ball from deep this season — but it’s also an anomaly for any player to maintain this high of an efficiency while taking this many shots. Only one other player (Kyrie Irving) shooting above 44% has taken 200 or more attempts from 3-point range this season.
Week ahead: Bulls
- Wednesday: at Indiana Pacers, 6 p.m. (CHSN)
- Friday: vs. Washington Wizards, 7 p.m. (CHSN)
- Sunday: at Sacramento Kings, 2:30 p.m. (CHSN)
What we’re reading
- ‘I’ve got to dunk it’: Coby White put Victor Wembanyama on a poster to lead the Chicago Bulls’ comeback win
- Chicago Bulls to retire Derrick Rose’s No. 1 jersey next season, cementing his legacy among franchise greats
- 8 New Year’s resolutions for Chicago basketball, including a Bulls decision on Zach LaVine and steps forward for Sky’s frontcourt
- Big Ten and SEC each have 4 teams in the top 10 of the AP women’s basketball poll
- Illinois men jump 9 spots to No. 13 — the biggest climber of the week — in AP basketball poll
Quotable
“Get Kah back.” — Sky star Angel Reese joking with new Unrivaled teammate Kahleah Copper — who anchored the 2021 championship team — during an Unrivaled news conference
