When I stepped outside to walk my dog this morning in sub-zero temperatures, I was sporting all the typical apparel: A hoodie, insulated winter coat, hat, gloves, boots, and thick scarf. My dog didn’t look a whole lot different. The 15-pound Jack Russell Terrier was wrapped in her own puffy winter coat with four rubber booties. She hates the salt.
Everyone else I encountered on my quick stroll had been equally as bundled … except one. I did a double-take when I saw a pair of bare legs across the street. There before me was a person wearing denim-looking shorts with a matching open button-up over what I assumed to be a t-shirt. They had their shoulders stiff, hands in their pocket, and a clearly uncomfortable look on their face. Still, they insisted on walking at a moderate pace that read, “I know what I’m doing.”
That person was Arturas Karnisovas. Ok, not really! But that is the same kind of reckless stubbornness that the Chicago Bulls’ executive VP has displayed for years. Why are you ignoring what everyone else can see and feel? Who are you trying to impress? It’s freakin’ cold outside, and you might as well accept that.
- Speaking of the Bulls’ front office leader, he is apparently having buyer’s remorse. Months after signing Patrick Williams to a $90.0 million deal that surprised many around the league, he is reportedly ready to trade the young forward. We wrote a lot more about that rumor here.
- Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls’ downward spiral continues! The team has lost five in a row and has won only three of their last ten games. Three of their last four losses have come against teams that currently sit 13th or worse in their respective conference. The latest defeat came against a Portland Trail Blazers squad that owns the second-worst net rating in the league and entered the night on their own five-game skid. As Zach LaVine put it after the game, the snowball is already the size of a house for the Bulls:
โAt a certain point weโve got to stop it; itโs already snowballed. Guys in here are talking. We’ve all said good things, but nobody’s gonna do anything until you get on the court. Weโve got to figure out a way to get a win,” LaVine told Bulls dot com.
- I have nothing but respect for the two-time All-Star this season. He was the only one on the floor who looked truly motivated last night, and he continues to look like a much better all-around player. Nevertheless, as much as I hate that this has to be the case, it’s probably best his words don’t get through to his teammates over the next couple of weeks. This losing streak is undoubtedly righting the wrongs of some early-season success. The Bulls feel like they are currently in a much better position to keep their 2025 first-round pick in a loaded draft. Not to mention, the more they lose now, the harder it will be for Arturas Karnisovas to completely ignore the trade deadline for a fourth straight season.
- By the way, there is a real possibility that the wheels fall all the way off this week. The Bulls will face a 24-17 Clippers team tonight on short rest before seeing the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers to round out the week. The Nuggets and Celtics are on the schedule after that. Would it be painfully Bulls to magically win the majority of these games? Of course. However, on the surface, their matchup with Philly feels like the only upcoming winnable contest. And it would probably still be in their best interest to drop that one, as the 76ers sit two games behind them in the No. 11 spot. The Bulls need to get out of the Play-In picture.
- So why have things collapsed over the last week or so? Well, the rebounding battle has a lot to do with it. The Bulls have given up the single-most second-chance points per game (19.7) over the last 10 games. More specifically, they have allowed 20+ second-chance points in six of their last seven games. Their 17-8 advantage over the Wizards is the only time they finished with more second-chance points than their opponent since Jan. 6. The Bulls may not be the longest team on the floor, but this is an indictment of their effort and execution more than anything else. Once again, Zach LaVine said the right thing after the game …
โNobody gives a damn if we got out there and weโre 5โ10.โ Theyโre going to go out there and offensive rebound. Man up, get a board, get the ball โฆ Boxing out. You got to want it. Including myself, I think had four or five today, maybe I got to go get eight or nine. Guards we got to go in there and help Vooch and Stix,” LaVine told CHSN.
- While Matas Buzelis at least played more than the 4 minutes we saw against the Hornets, it still wasn’t enough. He finished with less than 15 minutes of action and scored 7 points with 2 blocks. The Bulls were a +8 with him on the floor, which was the highest mark on the team. Especially in a game where rebounding became a huge problem, why not use one of the longest players on your team? I’m just not understanding this approach by Billy Donovan.
- The Bulls have no choice but to flush this latest loss out of their memory. The Clippers are on the schedule for a 9:30 p.m. CT tip-off tonight. This will be the best team the Bulls have played in a couple of weeks, as they hold the 8th-highest net rating in the NBA. The Clippers sit top 10 in points in the paint and fastbreak points per game, which sure feels like bad news for a Bulls team with tired legs. The only good news is that LA also played less than 24 hours ago and will likely be without Kawhi Leonard because of it.
- Michael takes a closer look at which role PCA could play this upcoming season. Should we expect a big leap?
- Luis continues our head coach evaluations, and he has talked himself into the idea of Mike McCarthy. Can you get there?
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