At What Point Do the Bulls Go, “Yeah, This Isn’t Good”?

The Chicago Bulls have 22 games left this season. They’re 30-30 and in the midst of a massive downfall that can only be blamed on themselves.

Pau Gasol called the media session after Wednesday’s loss a “broken record“.

ESPN Chicago Bulls reporter Nick Friedell called the Bulls “embarrassing“.

Both previous statements are 100 percent accurate.

If you didn’t watch Wednesday’s game between the Chicago Bulls and the Orlando Magic (led by former Bulls head coach Scott Skiles), you didn’t miss much of anything in terms of the Bulls.

Well, other than Aaron Brooks getting ejected towards the end of another pathetic performance from the Bulls.

Four Magic starters scored in double figures, led by Nikola Vucevic‘s 24 points, and Orlando blew the Bulls out on Wednesday, 102-89.

It was as bad at it sounds.

For example, this is how the Bulls started the fourth quarter while trailing by 17 points:

How does this even happen?

(You could ask the same question for this gem, too.)

This was Mike Dunleavy (via Friedell) after Wednesday’s loss:

“Honestly, we’ve got a lot of holes everywhere,” Dunleavy said. “Just with not getting into our coverages or going into the game plan. Not knowing individual tendencies of our opponents. And then just having a little bit of that grit to get it done, just to get it done. Whether it be in the rebounding game, the post-ups [or] hitting people, so it’s kind of all across the board.”

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OK, two things:

1. As a professional basketball team, how do you not fully study the tendencies of your opponents? Is there no game plan or what?
2. Shoutout to the subtle Kirk Hinrich/”grit” tribute Dunleavy made here.

The point is, every person within the Bulls organization deserves blame for this atrocity of a season (and there’s still 22 games to go).

On a personal note, I took this portion of Friedell’s column on the Bulls and I really liked it:

If you’ve followed along here at PAE since the time between Tom Thibodeau was fired and Fred Hoiberg was hired, you probably remember that I wasn’t too high on the Bulls hiring Hoiberg away from Iowa State last summer.

Last year as head coach of the Cyclones — Hoiberg’s best team he ever had in Ames — were 71st in defensive efficiency (per KenPom’s ratings) and were knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round. The defensive woes followed Hoiberg to the NBA.

Wednesday marked the 15th consecutive game that the Bulls have allowed 100 or more points in a game. The last time they did that? November (and into December) 1985.

The Los Angeles Lakers — THE LAKERS — have a better overall net rating since Feb. 1.

Hoiberg’s preparation tactics could be called into question and they should be if Dunleavy is making claims like he did on Wednesday. He’s a rookie head coach, but it’s clear that this situation is much more difficult than he probably thought it would originally be.

He was sold by everyone’s favorite front office duo that this team could win a championship. Everyone was.

And now, the Bulls are stewing in a cesspool of mediocrity.

Speaking of that dynamic front office duo of Gar Forman and John Paxson, Friedell hit the nail square on the head in terms of them receiving blame for this season:

"Nobody is more responsible for the product on the floor than the front office executives who put the team together. General manager Gar Forman and executive vice president John Paxson have to take more blame than anyone for the way this season has unfolded. They were the architects of these Bulls.They were the ones who believed Hoiberg was the right man for the job after they fired Tom Thibodeau over the summer. They were the ones who sold Hoiberg as an offensive guru who could unite a fractured team. They were the ones who believed this group could contend for a title and had enough depth to sustain itself through the course of a long NBA season. They were the ones who decided to bring this group back without any major changes to the roster in the offseason. Maybe most damning of all in the short term, they were the ones who decided to stand pat at the trade deadline (besides a cost-cutting move to dump well-liked veteran Kirk Hinrich) instead of starting the process of shaking up a roster that badly needs a makeover."

Just as a friendly reminder, the Bulls were treating Mike Dunleavy’s return from complications with a back surgery as a valuable trade acquisition. (No, seriously.)

And, they want to keep Pau Gasol on a new deal after this season ends.

As of now, the Bulls are technically only a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but would it really be a good thing if they made the postseason? (Weigh the options before you answer this.)

The Bulls need to shake things up. It’s clear. If the Bulls make the playoffs, they’re probably stuck with another early-round exit to a LeBron James-led team.

Lottery pick (with the Sacramento Kings pick still in play to acquire) … or a fifth playoff exit thanks to James? Making the playoffs in the East isn’t exactly something to be too proud of, especially if you have to sneak in.

Next: According to Boston Herald, Celtics Inquired About Trading for Jimmy Butler

You can blame the injuries, you can blame the coaching, you can blame the front office.

But, make sure you loop everyone — top to bottom — into the blame.