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

The Chicago Bulls lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 116-115 on Thursday in the United Center. Here’s my one like and dislike from the game.

The Chicago Bulls lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 116-115 on Thursday in the United Center after forward Bobby Portis, the player of the game, missed a potential game-winning lay-up with one second left in the game.

The 76ers won the 2017-18 season series 2-1.

Tank-o-meter:

The Chicago Bulls’ record is 20-38 after the loss. They have the eighth-worst record in the league and are 2.5 games back of the worst record in the association.

Fun Fact #1:

The Bulls tied a franchise record with 18 made 3-pointers in the game against the 76ers. The last time they made 18 3-pointers was earlier this season in their Dec. 29 win against the Indiana Pacers.

Fun Fact #2:

Guard David Nwaba and Portis both tallied career-highs in points and 3-pointers made in the game. They combined for 59 points in the game.

Dislike: Lack of defensive upside

It would be easy to pick on forward Denzel Valentine for his bone-headed turnover in the fourth quarter that cost the Chicago Bulls the game. But, the glaring issue of the Bulls’ lack of rim protectors and size at the wing positions reared their ugly heads again.

The 76ers shot 75 percent on shots at the rim (84th percentile) and 63.6 percent on shots within 4-14 feet of the basket (96th percentile). The Bulls provided little resistance on the perimeter and allowed Philadelphia to score at the basket with ease.

76ers guard Ben Simmons consistently played bully ball with guard Kris Dunn and Nwaba. Even when they found a way to stay in front of him, Simmons used his athleticism, size and strength to nudge them out the way for easy buckets.

The discouraging part is the Chicago Bulls don’t have a single player on their roster who they could’ve felt confident in throwing at Simmons. Dunn is too small. Valentine isn’t quick enough to guard Simmons.

Guard Zach LaVine is a defensive liability. Guard/forward Justin Holiday, who was moved out of the starting lineup and received a DNP-CD, isn’t strong enough to defend Simmons. The Bulls best bet was Nwaba, and even he struggled due to the height disparity between him and Simmons.

Once Simmons got into the paint, it was over. The Bulls don’t have a true rim protector on their roster. All of their rotation big (so, not including center Robin Lopez) rank below the 30th percentile in block percentage.

The teams best bet to prevent a player like Simmons from scoring is to trap him and use aggressive tactics when he’s coming off screens. But, then that’ll open up opportunities for him to make players for others; the aspect of his game that makes him unique.

The Bulls’ lack of defensive ability allowed the 76ers to record a free-throw rate of 25.6 percent (77th percentile) and take 35 free-throw attempts.

Maybe the 76ers deserve more credit than the Bulls deserve blame. Simmons and 76ers center Joel Embiid are amazing talents and will be two of the top-10 players in the NBA in the near future.

But, the Bulls need to recognize the direction the league is going. Simmons, Embiid, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl Anthony-Towns are the future of the NBA and are going to dominate the league for the next decade.

The Bulls need to find the kind of players who can put up a fight against the unicorns of the NBA if they want to make their rebuild a successful one.

Like: Nwaba’s activity

Nwaba is slowly becoming one of my favorite players from this new era of Bulls’ basketball. He makes an impact in unconventional manners and constantly finds ways to make his presence felt on the court.

He’s consistently locked in on the defensive end of the floor. His length, anticipation and aggressiveness make plays like the one below possible.

He rarely gives up on plays. Nwaba did the unthinkable when he blocked Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kyle Korver’s 3-point attempt earlier this season. He followed that up with a block on 76ers guard J.J. Reddick.

Despite his lack of size, Nwaba is one heck of a rebounder. He grabs 14.4 percent (91st percentile) of defensive rebounding opportunities when he’s on the floor. He tallied five rebounds (three on the defensive end and two offensive end) in the first quarter alone and finished with nine for the game. He’s constantly battling big men on the interior. His grit and intensity allow him to come out on top more often than most players his size would in those situations.

He’s limited on the offensive end, but his limitations don’t stop him from trying. He runs the floor in transition, cuts off the ball and is becoming a master on how to be effective when he’s roaming the baseline. When he’s knocking down shots like he did last night, Nwaba becomes an even greater joy to watch.

But, his most important play of the night came when he prevented Dunn from falling on his face again.

The Bulls, and Dunn, are lucky to have Nwaba on the roster.