It’s Hard Not to Be Worried About the Chicago Bulls Right Now

I like to consider myself a relatively rational person.

More often than not, I attempt to think critically through situations, practice patience, and evaluate both sides of an argument. And I’m not saying this as some sort of flex. Honestly, if anything, this isn’t the best approach to take when your job resides in today’s sports media landscape. This is the era of hot takes and passionate declarations! I should be aggressively sharpening my pitchfork instead of making a diligent list of pros and cons. Yet, here I am, forcing my “Big J” Journalism brain to cramp up as I try to think through the Bulls’ future.

The easy thing to do right now is call for Billy Donovan’s dismissal. If you’ve dabbled at all in the Bulls Twitterverse or Facebookverse or probably even Myspaceverse, then you know this has been an extremely popular take after a frustratingly weak 6-9 start to the season. But I just don’t believe it’s the correct direction.

Does Donovan deserve (at least) a slap on the wrist for the team’s ongoing slow starts? Absolutely. He also should have to answer questions about lack of effort and intensity after back-to-back blowout losses. But the Chicago Bulls’ current problems stretch far past whatever Donovan is preaching on the sideline.

Nobody is denying that this Bulls team has talent. But what matters more than how Donovan uses that talent is whether or not that talent even fit together in the first place. There were immediate questions about this when the front office opted to build a core around three offensive-minded All-Stars. And we’re talking *extremely* offensive-minded. Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic have each been considered sub-par defenders throughout their entire careers, which means there were bound to be some defensive concerns with this roster.

We then saw those concerns on full display as last season dragged on. The Bulls handed opponents the 9th-most points in the paint per game and finished the year 23rd in defensive rating. The other problem that became painfully clear was that this team lacked the kind of long-range shooting that is necessary in today’s NBA. As great as these three offensive players can be, they all tend to do their best work near or around the paint. Not only did this lead to the Bulls taking the fewest 3-point attempts per game, but it led to opponents daring the Bulls to beat them behind the arc.

Jump to the offseason and the front office had a chance to fill the holes. Instead, they went on to sign a veteran point guard in Goran Dragic and a backup big man in Andre Drummond. Both deserve a tip of the cap for their early-season effort. What they’ve done together in the second unit has saved the Bulls in several games thus far. But the fact of the matter is that neither player fixed the key issues we mentioned above.

The Bulls are still shooting the third-fewest 3s in the league and nailing them at just the 15th-best clip, and they are still allowing the 18th-most points in the paint each night. And I simply can’t see a path where that changes any time soon.

We know that Lonzo Ball checks several of those important boxes for this team, including shooting, length, and even rim protection in a sense (his ball pressure makes life so much easier on the big men). However, the fact this team has to rely that much on him to check certain boxes is – within itself – a flaw. It speaks to just how few two-way players are on this team, and it reminds us how little has been done to address that.

So, speaking of which, how can the Bulls address their roster issues? I think this is where the real worry begins to set in. The front office invested significant assets into the current core we see today. They have few tradable contracts, and those that they do have may not be tied to players who are valuable enough to bring back the kind of talent they need.

I mean, seriously, unless they finally bite the bullet and deal Patrick Williams, how else are they going to add a player of significance? Coby White’s value remains at an all-time low. Derrick Jones Jr.’s value is unknown. Javonte Green will make salary-matching hard. The Bulls might be able to flaunt some draft capital, including their lottery-protected first-round pick from Portland, but how much more of that do they want to give up? And at what cost?

Let’s also not forget what hangs over the head of all this: The cheapest ownership in all of the land. The Chicago Bulls have entered the luxury tax once in franchise history, and they are only a couple of million away from that line right now. So, even if this front office found the right-sized plugs to fill these holes, how can we be sure they get their hands on them?

I swear I’m not trying to sound like Mr. Dooms Day. These are just the thoughts that have been circling my head as we watch the Bulls stumble out of the gate. The good news is that their schedule should only ease up from here and that players like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan remain really freakin’ good. But looking into the future of this team is like driving into a fog storm. It’s hard to tell what lies ahead.

written by

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.

more bulls news

Best Defense of the Season, Playing Big, Javonte Green’s Instant Impact, and Other Bulls Bullets

Lose to the 14-win Wizards one game and hold the Pacers' elite offense to their worst performance of the season the next. Your 2023-24 Chicago Bulls, everyone! As I said in last night's Enhanced Box Score, I'm now even more...

WOW: Minnesota Timberwolves Sale to Alex Rodriguez Falls Through

The Minnesota Timberwolves dropped a bomb on Thursday morning. According to a statement released by the Timberwolves and Lynx ownership group, the franchise is no longer for sale. A transition of power was thought to be in place over the...

Enhanced Box Score: Bulls 125, Pacers 99 – March 27, 2024

I got to be honest, I'm even more upset about the Washington Wizards' loss. If the Chicago Bulls played like they did tonight, they would have beaten that depleted Wizards team by 40. This was a locked-in group from the...

Javonte Green Makes Bulls Return… Immediately Does Awesome Stuff

Javonte Green has officially made his Chicago Bulls debut ... again. The 30-year-old signed with the organization via a 10-day hardship deal on March 22. Injuries to Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Julian Phillips paved the way for...

WATCH: Alex Caruso Snatches Rookie Ben Sheppard’s Ankles

Alex Caruso will always be known for his defense capabilities, but he's showing a lot more than that this season. The veteran guard is averaging double-digit points for the first time in his career. A big part of that has...

Draymond Green Ejected Less Than 4 Minutes Into Game Against Orlando

Draymond Green was at it again on Wednesday night. Out East to take on the Orlando Magic, the Golden State Warriors watched Paolo Banchero bulldoze Andrew Wiggins to the rim early in the first quarter. As Banchero high-fived his teammates...

Pre-Gamin’: Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls (7:00 CT), Projected Lineups, How to Watch, More

Everything was awful on Tuesday. Be Better. https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1772971933161705610?s=20 Game Info Indiana Pacers (41-32) at Chicago Bulls (34-38) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio) Projected Starting Lineups Chicago Bulls Coby White Alex Caruso Ayo Dosunmu...

Around the Association: Caitlin Clark Gets Big(3) Offer, Knicks Getting Help, Lakers OT Thriller, More

It's hard to believe we have less than three weeks remaining in the NBA's regular season, and we should be in for some real drama down the stretch. The Knicks have plenty to play for in their remaining 11 games...

WHOA: NCAA Looking to Ban Prop Betting on All College Athletes

As the NCAA men's basketball tournament gears up for the Sweet Sixteen, the college sports world received some big news. On Wednesday morning, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that NCAA president Charlie Baker wants to officially ban prop betting on college...

NBA Playoffs Update: Several Races Are Still Undecided

The NBA season is winding down. We have some awesome races for the NBA Playoffs to keep an eye on in the final 2+ weeks of the season. The top seed in the West is still up for grabs in...

Latest News

Top 25 College Basketball Picks and Best Bets: March 28

The Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa State Cyclones hit the court in one of four games on the college basketball slate on Thursday that include a ranked team.How to Bet on Top 25 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Top 25 Games for...

What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Arizona Diamondbacks are moneyline favorites (-230) to begin their season with a home win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Zac Gallen gets the starting nod for Arizona while Kyle Freeland is Colorado's...

Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Seattle Mariners are moneyline favorites (-162) to begin their season with a home win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN.Luis Castillo starts for Seattle while Brayan Bello is Boston's starter for...

Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Cleveland Guardians start their season as road favorites (-156) in a matchup with the Oakland Athletics on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET, live on NBCS-CA from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Cleveland's Shane Bieber and Oakland's Alex Wood have been named the...

Damian Lillard Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

To beat his 3-point prop, Damian Lillard must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDamian Lillard's over/under for three-pointers...

Brook Lopez Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

To beat his 3-point prop, Brook Lopez needs to make two from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks meet the New Orleans Pelicans, starting at 8:00 PM ET.Brook Lopez's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansBrook Lopez's over/under for three-pointers...

Giannis Antetokounmpo Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo make just a single 3-pointer when the Milwaukee Bucks play the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his over/under for the game.Giannis Antetokounmpo's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansGiannis Antetokounmpo's...

CJ McCollum Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

To beat his 3-point over/under, CJ McCollum must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his New Orleans Pelicans play the Milwaukee Bucks, beginning at 8:00 PM ET.CJ McCollum's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksCJ McCollum's over/under for three-pointers in...

Devils vs. Sabres Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

The New Jersey Devils are -115 on the moneyline and the Buffalo Sabres are at -105 for their game on Friday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.Devils vs. Sabres Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Devils (-115)Underdog: Sabres (-105)Total: 6.5Best Devils vs. Sabres Promo...

more bulls news