The Bulls Are Their Own Biggest Rivals and Other Bulls Bullets

Nov 22, 2019

I feel like it’s time to start mentally and physically preparing for Thanksgiving.

Maybe create some flashcards for uncomfortable questions asked around the dinner table. You could also try on all your nice pants now to know which one restricts stomach pressure the most. Oh, or practice your lying “no, it tastes great, Aunt Ruth” face.

A lot of options. Best to start early.

Disclaimer: Zach LaVine fans should avoid this first bullet. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor goes OFF on LaVine in one of his latest columns. O’Connor views LaVine as this team’s most glaring red flag, comparing him to J.R. Smith and stating he’s best suited as a sixth man. Hm, well that sounds like a problem considering the Bulls are trying to build a franchise around him. He rips mostly into LaVine’s lackluster defense, calling it inexcusable after six years in the league. One alarming stat he shares, the Bulls carry a defensive rating of 109.4 when he’s in the game compared to 93.6 when he’s on the bench. Wow … talk about a problem.

I think Lauri Markkanen’s struggles have saved LaVine from receiving even more criticism. While he may score 36 points one night, he still manages to make several concerning decisions. How many times have you thrown your hands up in the air and yelled: “What are you doing!?” Probably too many times. I’m not going to side completely with O’Connor, but it’s hard to straight-up deny anything he’s saying right now. LaVine has 67 games to prove he’s a winning player. Clocks ticking.

In more (kind of) positive news, The Ringer’s Zach Kram wrote about how the Bulls offense is working! That is, if you don’t count the whole executing part. NBC Sports Chicago’s Kevin Anderson pointed out a similar trend recently when talking about Jim Boylen’s offensive scheme creating open-looks. Kram takes it a bit further, giving an update on the Bulls stats and comparing them to a team like the Houston Rockets, who run a similar system but who also do a little thing called “make shots.” Also, for any of you basketball nerds out there, he builds an interesting model to compare the Bulls’ expected accuracy rank this season to their actual accuracy rank thus far.

The East is wide open, but the Bulls’ biggest rival still stands in their way … themselves!

Vucevic hurt for the Magic. Kyrie + Caris hurt for the Nets. Blake looks like a shell of himself for the Pistons. John Collins gets suspended 25 games for ATL. 7-seed is two games under .500
Things would be breaking just right for the Bulls if they weren't coached by Jim Boylen

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) November 21, 2019

PINSTRIPES BACK TONIGHT! WOOT, WOOT!

It's Statement Edition Night as we bring out the pinstripes at home for the first time this season. Let's get this W. pic.twitter.com/YvncDup4xH
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 22, 2019

Speaking of alternate uniforms, teams released their city edition jerseys recently. If you haven’t had a shot to check out how the Bulls stack up against the rest of the NBA, take a look at this ESPN post.

What about the guys who will actually be taking the threes?

State of #Bulls update: Shaq, Dunn, Strus & Valentine working on 3-pointers after practice at three different baskets.

— Mike McGraw (@McGrawDHBulls) November 21, 2019

The Finnisher is playing more like The Opener. You know, because he’s, uh, opening the door for teams to score and not playing well, so – Ah, forget it. This stinks.

Through games on Nov. 20, here's how all members of the Chicago Bulls have fared in TPA during the 2019-20 #NBA season. #BullsNation pic.twitter.com/0V9KbmtFeE
— NBA Math (@NBA_Math) November 21, 2019

Who would’ve thought Kris Dunn would be one of the team’s best storylines this season? I love it, but everything about this year has been the opposite.

The Bulls defense has accomplished something they haven't done since 1980:https://t.co/gIvG37o2Oz

— NBC Sports Chicago (@NBCSChicago) November 21, 2019

Another example, the Bulls defense outperforming the offense.

Despite Even Tougher Competition, the Bulls Defense Seems To Be Improvinghttps://t.co/4O4hIk55cr

— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) November 21, 2019

written by

Elias Schuster

Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.

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