Pippen Ain't Easy
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Chicago Bulls: 3 takeaways from the preseason debut

By Luke Askew

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 6: Fred Hoiberg head coach of the Chicago Bulls looks on during a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 6, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 6: Fred Hoiberg head coach of the Chicago Bulls looks on during a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 6, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. The Bulls defense is officially bad

Was this really a surprise to anyone? Of course not, but until seeing all the new faces on the court at the same time, we didn’t know for sure how bad their defense was going to be.

Unfortunately for the Bulls and their fans, the defense was actually worse than I thought it would be. Sure, this was only their first game together, but there was basically no resistance on that end of the floor.

It was extremely discouraging.

The Bulls lucked out in the fourth quarter and only gave up 19 points. Before that, they had given up 97 points in three quarters. That’s really, really bad. For reference, the San Antonio Spurs only gave up 99.8 points per game to opposing teams during the 2017-18 regular season.

Comparing the Bulls to the Spurs in any way, shape or form isn’t going to be a fun game for any Bulls fan to play, but it’s still worth noting what good team defenses are doing statistically. The Spurs definitely aren’t the standard, but they’re a nice goal to keep in mind as this Bulls team continues to develop.

If the Bulls want to win games this season, it’s going to have to be in a shootout. Was the Bulls’ defense bad against the Pelicans? Yeah, it was horrible, but the good news is their offense was really good.

If you’re a fan of scoring, the Bulls should be a fun team to watch during the 2018-19 season.

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