Chicago Bulls: What are they doing at the worst rate in the NBA?
The Chicago Bulls have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams since the NBA trade deadline. While they made moves to improve the talent on their roster, those moves have not gotten them the desired results.
Instead of making excuses, like the current absence of Zach LaVine or the extremely limited practice time they have had as a group, the Bulls need to find answers quickly or they risk missing out on the playoffs completely.
Since the deadline, the team is an unacceptable 5-10 and have seen themselves drop down to the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference. A number of things have caused their poor results, with defense being the most blatantly obvious.
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Still, there is something the current Bulls are the worst team in the NBA at since the March 25 NBA trade deadline, and while their defense is near the worst in the league in that time, it is not quite at the very bottom.
The Chicago Bulls inability to get to the free-throw line
No team is getting to the charity stripe less than the Chicago Bulls since the NBA trade deadline. Their 15.6 FTA’s per game ranks 30th of 30 teams and is a staggering 2.5 attempts per game behind the 29th ranked Charlotte Hornets.
Missing LaVine makes the number even more brutal, but as I stated earlier, there are no more excuses left for this team. Coby White is next on the team in getting to the stripe after LaVine but is getting there just 2.5 times per game.
Nikola Vucevic has gotten to the free-throw line two times per game as a member of the Chicago Bulls. That’s a fraction less than Thaddeus Young who is playing nearly ten minutes less than Vooch on a per-game basis.
Getting to the line helps in a number of ways and would even be an asset to their team defense. While the defense won’t ever be great as the roster is currently constructed, free throws allow a team to get set defensively and take away transition opportunities for opposing teams.
If the Bulls want to turn things around, they may want to start by playing a more physical brand of basketball.
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