We can be fairly certain the 15-5 finish last season, not to mention the 6-1 start, was not a true indicator of this team’s talent
The Chicago Bulls have lost five straight, four of them to teams below them in the NBA standings. Rock bottom was a loss on Tuesday night to the 4-16 Brooklyn Nets. We can be fairly certain the 15-5 finish last season, not to mention the 6-1 start, was not a true indicator of the Bulls’ talent.
Of course, you should never evaluate a team at its best or worst. The true test is the middle ground. Chicago is at their worst right now. But how can they salvage their season? Here’s some steps:
1. UNDERSTAND YOUR PLACE IN THE NBA:
Remember, entering the season, Las Vegas had the Bulls pegged as a 32-win team. It seems like this is to be their fate.
A huge fear among Bulls fans right now is that Arturas Karnisovas will tout the opening stretch of the season as their true level, ignoring recent evidence to the contrary. The beginning of the season is looking increasingly fluky. Aside from the now obvious shooting luck they faced, each team they beat early on was still establishing their chemistry.
EARLY WINS WERE QUITE MISLEADING
Detroit: new shooting guard, first game, new roles being established
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Orlando: Incorporating Desmond Bane, pre Anthony Black breakout
Atlanta: Kristaps Porzingas added, multiple bench pieces, roles being established.
Sacramento: no comment needed! We’ve played that music!
76ers: For some reason, they continually went to Joel Embiid in isolation. That did not work.
The Bulls then went on to lose five games, defeat Denver, then get bailed out by two Nikola Vucevic clutch treys to win against Portland and Washington.
The Bulls don’t get trap games. They ARE a trap game. They have lost five straight; their opponents’ collective record in those games is 31-78.
Forget injuries, forget last season, forget any thought of a playoff run. The Bulls are just not a good team. They lack the elite talent to reach that spot. They need to accept this. It does hurt to rip off Band-Aids; but for the long term good the Bulls need to start playing the lottery game.
We should know enough to not trust late season surges. It was easy to see why the 15-5 stretch wasn’t to be trusted; this article lays out game by game the unique circumstances that should give everyone pause. It’s time to do the same thing the rest of the league does at the end of the season. False hope is a fool’s gold that the Bulls need to stop peddling as the real article.
2. WHY THE BULLS NEED TO MAKE TRADES NOW
It doesn’t matter what the Bulls get back, or if it improves the current roster. The players the Bulls have will not get a true difference maker in return. They simply aren’t good enough at basketball to have much value on expiring deals. The team won’t be helped by trades in wins or losses, but savvy moves would help the team in the future.
The Bulls have several players on expiring contracts that simply aren’t part of the future. Nikola Vucevic is an easy target; he likely won’t get much in return though. Kevin Huerter, Jevon Carter, and Zach Collins are all in the same unimportant bucket. Get what you can now, and get out.
3. DEVELOPMENT NEEDS TO BE THE PRIORITY
Coach Billy Donovan at times coaches his young players like a high school coach, yanking them out and lecturing them on their mistakes. This has to change. It’s time for the Bulls youngsters to sink or swim, not be punished with lack of playing time for mistakes.
First of all, the Bulls have decisions to make on Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips. They may very well be non-valuable players, but their playing time has been spotty. With wins not being important, giving them a runway to make an informed contract decision, not to mention aid their development, seems prudent.
Matas Buzelis is at this point an immensely important piece of the puzzle. While he struggled to close the game against Orlando, particularly their physicality, the experience of being out there can be valuable. Buzelis seems like the kind of player who would deal with adversity positively, working hard to avoid a repeat.
We don’t need to see any more Vucevic-led victories. They’re meaningless for the future. It would be much more exciting to see Buzelis take a leap, not to mention players like Terry contributing, than to see another play-in tournament.
In conclusion, the Bulls are in a tight spot, and need to adjust to avoid being stuck in perpetuity. These steps can help. As a fan, it’s time to start rooting for individual player development. We can only hope the Bulls see this as well and adjust.