Chicago Bulls: Despite team’s recent struggles there is a bright side

Many Chicago Bulls fans are starting to get a little nervous since the trade deadline. After the addition of five new players, one of those players being All-Star center Nikola Vucevic, Bulls fans had higher hopes than a six-game losing streak.

The harsh reality is, the Bulls have slightly underachieved in most respects, particularly because they ultimately needed help in the frontcourt. What Wendell Carter Jr. has accomplished since the trade can create a false narrative that the new front office may have made the wrong decision. I promise that is not true, WCJ, and the Bulls needed a change in scenery.

With four straight losses since the transactions that were supposed to make this surging Bulls team better, it is very hard to read between the lines. Yes, not the results that Bulls fans envisioned, but things may still get much worse before it can start to get any better for this new-look Bulls team.

The losses and adversity this team is endearing are going to help in the long run. Building and learning from the mistakes being made will help this team grow. Trusting the process is what is the most important piece of the puzzle for the players and fans alike to understand.

Bulls fans can all be honest, making the play-in tournament was the goal this season, and that is right where the Bulls currently sit in the Eastern Conference standings. Now, we as fans also understand that those hopes and expectations became unrealistic as soon as this mid-season trade transpired. The overall excitement has clouded our judgment.

Chicago Bulls post-deadline expectations turned to disappointment

Expecting to just jump from the 10th seed to the sixth seed overnight is not feasible by any stretch of the imagination. This disappointment is going to be temporary, short-lived so to speak. The worst-case scenario for the Bulls is the 10th seed, due strictly because we will start to win shortly.

A weak Eastern Conference will help down the stretch. Even if the Bulls add on a few more losses, they are still ahead of the Toronto Raptors by one game. The Raptors are struggling mightily and are helping the Bulls remain in the playoff hunt.

Baby steps;  You have to crawl before you can walk is an accurate metaphor that fits the Chicago Bulls’ current situation.

The historically bad West Coast trips have always plagued the Bulls. They often lose a lot of games during their infamous “circus trip”. So, being shocked this losing streak is hampering playoff hopes shouldn’t come as a surprise. Many other variables are factored into this current struggling team.

The most obvious key factor; All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine is battling through an ankle injury. Something to watch closely as we finished out this road trip. Getting him healthy will be important in helping the Bulls finishing out the season strong, securing a play-in tournament appearance  is not yet out of reach.

With all the roster changes and injuries, I expect the Bulls to make a full recovery, bouncing back and building the resilience needed to finish out the season strong. The chemistry is being built in real-time, limited practices have held their growth back.

Playing all playoff teams during the four-game road trip is a challenge without all the kinks the Bulls are trying to work their way through. Learning from these experiences is important as well as building better habits. Translating first-year head coach Billy Donovan‘s system into execution is the next step in this process.

Donovan’s defensive schemes have been a question mark at times. He tends to run a dr0op coverage that confuses these young players. Lack of communication and bad decision-making play a bigger role in that almost unsolvable equation. The development of rookie forward Patrick William will help the Bulls in the defensive category as they try to get back in the win column..

Donovan is being challenged with the almost impossible task of trying to adjust mid-season. He is forced to evaluate in real-time. Using live-game action to gauge his new players while still trying to develop, all of that is hard enough.

Add in all the injuries and coach Donovan is learning on the fly, any coach in the league would tell you that it is not an easy assignment. He has the experience and high basketball IQ to continue to put his players in the best possible situations to get better, this just takes time.

Chicago Bulls defensive identity has to be established

The biggest weakness on this new-look Bulls team is their defense. Everything I just talked about is why all of those factors are making the Bulls play so poorly defensively. Defense is only effective when played as a unit. With all the changes to the roster, every player is trying to learn how to play with each other.

As soon as they figure it out the results will be instant. This team will play much better. Big things are in store. The Bulls can only go up from here. Trending in the right direction with a bright future, Bulls fans are getting everything they could’ve wished for.