Can the Bulls be fixed this season? There are still some major concerns

Russell Westbrook was a distinct possibility for the Bulls.

That in itself is concerning. What were executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley actually evaluating?

Before they came up for a breath from the buyout-market dive and held up Patrick Beverley as the consolation prize, the Bulls’ front office was all in on Westbrook.

He chose the Clippers, and thankfully so.

Well, good ol’ Russ has proceeded to run the Clippers into the ground. They’ve lost all five games with him at the point, and he leads the team in turnovers during that span with 22 and is shooting 31.3% from three-point range, which actually isn’t that awful for him.

Karnisovas viewing Westbrook as an answer was a result of desperation or simply confusion about what the Bulls needed to make a playoff push.

Poor three-point shooting, lack of ball security late in games and untimely defensive breakdowns were only some of the major issues haunting the team, and Westbrook would’ve exacerbated all those problems.

Beverley doesn’t solve the three-point shooting problem, but he has been a solid floor general, and his individual defense has been stellar for the most part.

Ask Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, who was held to three points last week, about 17 points below his average.

Is Beverley talented enough to play savior amid fading playoff hopes? Unlikely. The playoff odds sit at 9%, according to FiveThirtyEight. And the Bulls don’t have the easiest road in front of them, either.

They have the 15th-toughest schedule left with two games against the 76ers and matchups against the Bucks, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Kings and Heat. There’s also a tricky West Coast trip to play the Trail Blazers, Lakers and Clippers.

It’s a big elephant left to eat, but one that forward DeMar DeRozan was choosing to attack one bite at a time, starting Sunday against the Pacers.

“We gotta catch a rhythm here, but we can’t look at the whole spectrum of it,’’ DeRozan said. “We gotta take care of Sunday now. We need it.

‘‘After we take care of that, we need to figure out what’s next. Obviously, [the game against the Suns on Friday was] a discouraging loss, but I have a hope and faith that we have a fire under us, understanding what’s ahead of us.’’

It’s an encouraging mentality to have, but at this point, there are some trends that aren’t going to change with this group, no matter how many times coach Billy Donovan harps on them.

The Bulls entered the Suns game last in the NBA in three-point attempts per game, then watched Phoenix outshoot them from deep 47-23. All the great defense in the world won’t make up for that disparity.

To put in perspective just how big the gap is, the Warriors lead the league with 42.9 three-point attempts per game; Donovan’s squad is at 28.6, the only team under 30.

So what’s the quick fix Donovan wants to see?

“We have to change our shot profile when you’re going up against an elite offensive team,’’ Donovan said. “Getting downhill and spraying it out when we can is important.

“The only way you’re going to overcome that is either by getting an enormous amount of offensive rebounds or getting to the free-throw line.’’