Chicago Bulls: The challenge of trying to make sense of this team

If the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were about a basketball team, it would look like the Chicago Bulls, who found the intensity again most recently.

There are some things about the 2021 Chicago Bulls that need to be discussed in no uncertain terms. Wins against the Cavaliers, Celtics, and now a 108-91 drubbing of the Hornets have many making strawman arguments. These range from moving on from Zach LaVine to the Bulls have suddenly “found” their defense.

Apparently, context no longer matters.

It’s similar to the outcry during their six-game skid. Yes, it was awful. But the trade deadline also happened two games into it. Their struggling immediately after should have been expected.

Perhaps just as much, we should have taken their wins over the Nets, Pacers, and Raptors with grains of salt. All of those teams were without at least one of their two best players while the Bulls were at full strength.

Chicago Bulls trying to make a playoff push from here on out

There’s been that pattern for the Bulls in all of their wins and losses post-deadline, in fact.

But in this recent stretch, it has reached a fever pitch of overreactions in either direction. There have been claims the Bulls blew it trading their picks to Orlando. There’s been the obligatory mention whenever a player they traded has a good game. It’s generally been draining night in and night out following this team.

Some things need to be sorted out as the Bulls enter this final stretch of games. How much weight do we put on the games they’ve played compared to going forward? Are they building this thing properly? How has the coaching staff done so far and what more can they do?