One like and dislike from the Chicago Bulls loss to the Philadelphia 76ers

The Chicago Bulls lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 115-101 Wednesday in the Well Fargo Center. It’s time to check out my one like and dislike about the game.

The Chicago Bulls concluded their 3-game road trip with an embarrassing loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.

Fun fact #1: This is the 22nd time in 25 games the Chicago Bulls have scored 100 points or more. The Bulls tallied a 15-10 record over those 25 games and went 1-2 in the games they scored less than 100 points. They scored 100 or more points eight times in their first 23 games and tallied a 3-20 record in those games.

Fun Fact #2: The Bulls rank 13th in points per 100 possessions since Dec. 8, 2017 with 106.7 points. Despite this, they still 29th in this metric over the course of the full season. Their offense was truly pathetic to start the 2017-18 campaign.

Dislike: Offensive Execution

The Chicago Bulls had a poor start to the game and were unable it shake it off. It took them nearly three-and-a-half minutes to score their first basket and they never found their flow on the offensive end.

The Bulls rank 12th in passes made per game with 302.9 passes. Their offensive system, and their lack of individual playmakers, require they make more passes than most teams so they can create easier shots for themselves.

So, for them to make nearly 20 less passes than their average last night is going to, and it did, negatively impact their offensive production.

The Chicago Bulls’ half-court offense stalled. They only scored .83 points per half-court play. There were too many possessions where the players made one or two passes and then took the quickest shot they could instead of being patient and work their way into a better look.

“There was probably a little hangover from that game, but you can’t let it affect the way you play,” said Hoiberg, according to a Jan. 24 ESPN article. “I don’t think we came out with any grit, toughness tonight. It just kind of became `my-turn shot.’ A guy took a bad one and he said, `Well, if he’s going to take a bad one, I’m going to take a bad one.’ It just kind of trickled down.”

Like: Zach LaVine dunk

Guard David Nwaba, last night’s player of the game, is going to receive his credit one of these days.

I mean, just look at how well he’s able to defend the bigger and stronger 76ers guard Ben Simmons.

The energy he brought to a Bulls team that was sorely lacking it last night was the reason he started the second half over guard Jerian Grant.His intensity, especially on the defensive end, continues to earn him consistent playing time. But, Zach Lavine’s alley-oop dunk caught my attention and maintained it for the rest of the night.

We’ve seen more impressive dunks from LaVine over the years. The confidence he had telling Nwaba to throw the ball up to him sticks with me. It’s important he trusts his own body and isn’t hesitant to showcase the feats of athleticism that made him a household name.

Next: Ranking potential draft prospects for the Bulls

All signs, albeit in limited playing time, appear to suggest LaVine is just as quick and explosive as he was before his ACL tear last year. I expect to see an increase in his minutes per game over the next couple weeks.