Chicago Bulls: 3 takeaways from decisive victory over the Mavs
By Nick Porr
2. The defense is unacceptably bad
The Bulls may have come away with the win Sunday, but the biggest headline from the game had nothing to do with their success.
Instead, the main storyline coming from the Bulls’ victory was actually about Dallas star Doncic’s outstanding performance against Chicago. Doncic totaled an absurd triple double of 36 points, 15 assists, and 16 rebounds.
Doncic is one of the most talented players in the Association and is a threat to go for a triple double any night, but a gaudy stat line like that is an unacceptable total to have hung on a team with playoff aspirations.
Doncic’s big night is emblematic of problems that have been plaguing Chicago all season long. The Bulls rank 27th in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing teams to light them up on the perimeter at a 37.8 percent shooting clip from three.
Doncic took full advantage of this, shooting 6-of-11 from deep against the Bulls, a boost from the abysmal 29.8 percent he’s shot from three so far this season.
If the Bulls want any chance to consistently string wins together, they are going to need to improve greatly on the defensive end.