With the NBA nearly at the quarter mark of the season fans are beginning to see what their team will be for the reason. Fans in Chicago are seeing who the Bulls are going to be… and they’re not liking the image they’re getting.
Following Friday night’s 123-119 loss to Oklahoma City, the Bulls’ record stands at 8-11 good for 12th in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls rank 16th in points scored, 12th in FG percentage, 14th in 3PT percentage, 19th in rebounds and 15th in assists. Defensively, the Bulls rank 13th in points given up, 23rd in FG percentage and 25th in 3PT percentage. They also rank 19th in point differential.
In their 8 wins, they have signature wins against the Celtics, Raptors, Heat and Bucks. In their 11 losses, they’ve suffered blowout losses to Cleveland and Denver while having losses to sub .500 teams such as San Antonio, Orlando and Oklahoma City.
The Bulls have been the very definition of a team that’s either white hot or ice cold. Since starting the season 5-4 the Bulls have lost 7 of 10 games. They have typically gotten off to slow starts. Their defense has been pedestrian at best through most of the season given their inability to close out on open shooters and allowing teams to get plenty of points in the paint. They’ve also struggled most of the season with their 3-point shooting.
After blowout losses to Denver and New Orleans critics began questioning the team’s effort. Bulls G Zach LaVine followed that up with a career worst 1-14 FG, 4 point performance against Orlando. Bulls coach Billy Donovan benched LaVine for the 4th quarter as the Bulls were unable to hold a 4 point lead late in the game and lost 108-107. After the game, Zach voiced his displeasure:
Zach doubling down and placing his benching in Billy Donovan’s lap a day later wasn’t exactly the right way to handle the situation. I personally felt Donovan was correct in benching LaVine. Zach would respond by helping the Bulls get signature wins over the Celtics and Bucks.
Critics will look to the Bulls’ defensive woes, Nikola Vucevic not being utilized as much in the post and the up & down play of both Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosunmu as reasons why the Bulls have underperformed thus far this season. Fans will point to the fact they are still without PG Lonzo Ball. Ball’s lack of presence is huge… but he is not the savior for this team. Ball coming back will not fix their rebounding issues. It won’t fix their overall defensive issues and it won’t fix their offensive droughts they get into at key points during games.
I think it’s time for Bulls fans to understand what this team is. You have a max player(at least financially) with iffy knees in Zach LaVine who may or may not be a franchise player. You have DeMar DeRozan, a player who the Bulls depend on too much to bail them out, at the tail end of his career. You have a center in Vucevic who is not the inside force he should be. You have an overall #4 pick in Patrick Williams who may end up being… just a guy. You have a bench that can deliver energy & defense in spurts but can’t be difference makers. On one night, they can go into Milwaukee and get a decisive win… and then they can wet the bed 2 nights later in Oklahoma City. Simply put – you don’t know which Bulls team you’re going to get on a nightly basis. They are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
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