This is arguably the most annoying Chicago Bulls team I can remember.
They won 8 of 11 games with victories over the Heat, Bucks, Nets, and Philly. How do they follow that up with a real chance to get back to .500 and climb up the Eastern Conference ladder? They lose three straight, two of which were against the freakin’ Wizards and Thunder.
Once again, I know that DeMar DeRozan wasn’t on the floor, but that shouldn’t matter when you’re playing one of the youngest teams in the league who also happens to be playing their third game in four days. In no world should this Bulls’ defense allow tired legs to shoot 51.1 percent from the field and outscore them 64-44 in the paint. They were repeatedly blown by for easy layups and allowed three OKC players to score 20+ points (Josh Giddey, in particular, picked them apart).
To the Bulls’ credit, they were able to get five of their own players in double figures and finish the night with 30 assists. Patrick Wiliams and Coby White also stepped up to help fill DeRozan’s scoring void, but none of that matters when you lose to the 12th-place team in the West.
I don’t know, man. All of this is just so predictable and so frustrating. It really makes me question what is the right path forward at this point. Something has to change, but will it? Recent rumors have suggested the Bulls are going to remain quiet at the deadline, so let’s just say I’m not too optimistic.
Check out the full box score here.