Chicago Bulls are winning games down the stretch
By Khobi Price
The Chicago Bulls are learning how to close out games. Because of this, they’ve gone from one of the worst teams in clutch situations, to one of the best.
The Chicago Bulls were the worst team in the NBA for a multitude of reasons.
They had one of the league’s worst offensive and defensive units. This led to an NBA worst net rating through their first 23 games and several blowout losses.
They also lost a lot of games because they didn’t know how to perform in clutch situations (the final five minutes of a game when leading or trailing by five points or less).
“This one, it stings a lot,” said Chicago Bulls Head Coach Fred Hoiberg following the Bulls’ Dec. 7, 2017 98-96 loss to the Indiana Pacers, according to a Dec. 7, 2017 ESPN article. “It’s a really, really hard (loss) because we had control for the majority of it and played really good and hard unselfish basketball.”
Hoiberg’s comments came after a loss to the Pacers which witnessed the Bulls blow a 17-point lead, be outscored 13-4 in the last five minutes of the game and lose another game in the clutch.
In addition 3-20 overall record to start the 2017-18 season, they had a 2-9 record in games that had clutch minutes.
Bulls struggled in the clutch through 23 games
Through the first 23 games of the season, the Bulls were outscored by 27 points per 100 possessions in 42 clutch minutes. The team’s defense did their best matador impression by allowing 114.3 points per 100 possessions in these situations.
Meanwhile, their offense cratered from the worst in the league, 96.1 points per 100 possessions, to one that would rival any of the worst offenses of all time, 87.3 points per 100 possessions. The lack of dynamic scorers on their roster hampered the Bulls.
They’d have to move the ball around against defenses that were more locked in. This caused their turnover percentage to remain the same, 14.5 percent. But, that number went from being ninth best mark in the league in non-clutch situations to the ninth worst in clutch situations.
Kris Dunn’s turnover ratio, the percentage of a possessions ending in a turnover, increased significantly in clutch situations (15.7 to 17.6 percent). This is dangerous when you consider his assist ratio was the same as his turnover ratio.
Dunn’s performance in the clutch was indicative of how the team performed. Nobody stepped up in crunch time. This is expected from a team relying on young players like the Bulls do.
But, with each loss and blown lead it became more unclear when things would begin to look up for the Windy City franchise again.
The Chicago Bulls turned things around
The Bulls closed out their 119-111 win over the Miami Heat on Jan. 15 by outscoring the Heat by four points over the last three minutes of the contest.
Lauri Markkanen hit a 28-foot 3-pointer with a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter to virtually put the game out of reach. His and-1 layup, and the free-throw following the shot, was the icing on the cake.
The victory marked the Bulls’ 21st game since losing to the Pacers on Dec. 7, 2017.
Over this stretch the Bulls accumulated a 14-7 overall record and an 11-3 record when they played in clutch situations. This was the third best clutch winning percentage during that time and tied for the most wins.
The Chicago Bulls don’t become a lesser version of themselves late in games anymore. The Windy City franchise becomes a better team in the clutch.
Bulls have shown more poise in the clutch
In the last 21 games, the Bulls have outscored teams by more points per 100 possessions in crunch time than non-clutch minutes because they tighten their defensive strategies.
They go from allowing 106.4 points per 100 possessions in regular play to 99.2 points per 100 possessions in the clutch, which is an elite defense. It’s easy to solely contribute this turnaround to the return of Nikola Mirotic. However, that would be a slight to everyone else on the roster.
Dunn has made significant improvements in crunch time over the last 21 games. His turnover ratio decreases while his assist percentage, usage percentage and true shooting percentage increase. Although he tends to allow his bad habits to rear their ugly head at the wrong times, his growth is encouraging.
Markkanen is stepping up too. He’s taking and making shots the Bulls need come out of the game victorious. His field goal, 3-point, free-throw, effective field goal and true shooting percentage all improve in the clutch.
He remains patient and doesn’t show fear when he’s put in difficult situations.
It’s hard to envision the Chicago Bulls maintaining this level of performance in the clutch for the remainder of the season. It’s also unlikely they revert to their old ways; there’s a middle ground.
But, the adjustments they’ve made display growth. The tough lessons they learned from the losses are paying off. There’s been improvements among the players, the coaching staff and the organization.
Next: Chicago Bulls host the defending champs
This growth matters in the grand scheme of the Bulls re-tooling their roster. While it may worsen their chances of getting a higher rater prospect in the 2018 NBA Draft, they provide moments of lessons and development for their younger players. Which is what this season is about.