To some degree, fans can assume that the Chicago Bulls are in over their heads. After another blowout loss, conceivably, the worst loss of the season, Bulls fans are searching for an answer that cannot seem to be found. Finding a solution brings into the world that there aren’t many on the current roster.
The Orlando Magic came into the United Center and took care of business on April 14. The Magic dominated the Bulls, the final score was not close, as the conclusive of this contest suggests. The Bulls lost 115 to 106, a fourth-quarter surge was too little, too late. The losing streak has now hit four in a row.
Losing for the Bulls has now become a normalization of how far they are away from where they expected to be. It’s a suggestion that first-year vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has just started, and he still has a lot of work to do this offseason.
The Bulls have a pair of All-Stars, so finding the pieces to fit will be important as this process continues. Using young assets to acquire those said pieces, is a foregone conclusion.
Playoff implications are dwindling fast, frustration is settling in, while the Bulls try to fix what’s broken, admitting that it may not be fixable. Distinct evidence suggests that the old regime is still lingering, and there is a sort of bad stigma emerging.
The good in the loss for the Chicago Bulls
The game against the Magic was the first contest against the team since the trade for All-Star center Nikola Vucevic in exchange for center/power forward Wendell Carter Jr., forward Otto Porter Jr. and two first-round picks. Fans were excited to watch the two big men do battle, WCJ will always be a part of the Bulls nation.
He came into the contest with a clear chip on his shoulder, wanting to prove to his old team that they made a mistake. The truth is the Bulls made the right decision, it may not appear so, but the Bulls are far ahead of the Magic. WCJ had a great game, playing solid on both ends while staying efficient and disciplined.
That was something he wasn’t able to do in Chicago. He ended the game with 19 points and 12 rebounds, utilizing his midrange game and dominating in the paint at times.
Center Nikola Vucevic countered by having his best game in a Bulls uniform. He too lived up to the hype of the matchup. Vucevic scored 29 points and had 11 rebounds, hitting 5 of 8 three-point shots.
Honestly, the best part of the game was Stacey King and Adam Amin. Any Bulls fans who have the pleasure of joining the two gentleman’s play-by-play on the Bulls local network are always in for a great and fun time. From Amin and his excitement, no matter the score, to King sharing his knowledge and passion for this great city.
King had some very passionate words for Bulls players. His words came from the heart and were also accurate. As a Chicagoan and die-hard Bulls fan, I understood and understand his viewpoint.
"He didn’t hold back at all during his broadcast. King had this to say: “You got to compete man. You can’t let guys come in here and smack you in the mouth. This is Chicago. You got to have pride”. The Bulls bend and break style of play has frustrated more than just coaches and players. Amin and King give great analysis without sugar coating."
The bad in the loss for the Chicago Bulls
The bad can be summed up as a cooperative agreement to find every possible way to lose a basketball game. The Bulls started this game playing fragile and unstable, showing very little urgency. Walking into the United Center with a losing mentality, hampering any play-in hopes.
The amount of costly turnovers has plagued the Bulls all season long. Stepping out of bounds, traveling violations, bad passes, and all-around unforced errors. A true lack of hustle and intensity emphasizes the mindset and lack of identity or toughness on this team.
As the losing proceeds, the flaws are being exposed. On top of turnovers amounting, long stretches of scoring droughts continue in key moments throughout the game. Sustaining any rhythm is impossible when simple basketball plays cannot be executed.
Although center Daniel Theis has improved the physicality in the frontcourt, the Bulls are giving up too many offensive rebounds. Second-chance points are killing them and strong defensive stands are becoming a waste of the effort altogether.
Pointing fingers at one another, followed by not getting back defensively and complaining to referees shows a lack of focus altogether. Young players have to keep their heads in the game. They have to develop a short-term memory. Getting back defensively needs to become a priority.
The ugly in the loss for the Chicago Bulls
Where to start? All-Star shooting guard Zach Lavine cannot go the entire third quarter against any team and have zero shot attempts. Just poor recognition by our best player. Determining if LaVine will develop that alpha mentality and killer instinct is still a mystery.
He tends to sit back and enable the team to fall behind. He is a great scorer that lacks aggressiveness when needed. At times his shot selection suffers, turning his game into hero ball for no reason.
As the face of the franchise and Bull’s best player, he takes the majority of the blame. LaVine needs to play better to win games moving forward.
With all the said, it’s a moot point. LaVine will miss 10-14 days due to health and safety protocols. It’ll have to be the next man up. It will be interesting to see what line-ups first-year Bulls head coach Billy Donovan will run with.
Giving rookie forward Patrick Williams a bigger role may be a possibility. Williams is capable, furthering his development and allowing him to be more of a focal point while LaVine is out could be crucial in his progression.
The Bulls’ point of attack defensive is atrocious. Guards do what they want against them. Micheal Carter Williams looked like an All-Star against the Bulls. The Magic do not even carry a true starter in their starting line-up. Yet they still dominated the Bulls on the edges and in the paint.
The Bulls can not stop anyone. Losing four in a row isn’t surprising considering how bad they have played. Too much blame to go around. Coach Donovan has his hands full trying to clean up this mess, which may be too much for the coaching staff to overcome.
Add LaVine’s absence and it is going to get worse before it gets any better. The Bulls will be desperate without his scoring. If fans were interested in what the Bulls would be without LaVine, brace yourself!
Karnisovas and the front office decided to build around LaVine by trading for Vucevic, sending a clear message that he’s cleaning house and moving in a new direction. Bulls players know that their future in Chicago is short-lived and are beginning to give up hope.
Taking advantage of minutes means nothing when you already recognize you are not part of the future. Up next is another matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Former Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie 1st team from last season Ja Morant had his fingerprints all over the last game. The Bulls try it again at home on April 16th, this time without LaVine.
As wild of a ride the ending to the season is, I am much more distributed than upset. I know it’ll work itself out. Stay positive Bulls nation. Speed bumps are slowing the Bulls down, but a straightaway is needed to end the season strong.
Maybe they figure this out, maybe it gets worse. Make sure to continue following the series, it ain’t over yet!