Chicago Bulls: 3 adjustments Donovan must make to end losing streak

Adjustments Billy Donovan must make for the Chicago Bulls: Tighten up the perimeter defense

While this certainly sounds like a very simple adjustment that goes without saying, it’s also one that is worth diving deeper into. There is one key metric to note for the Bulls in their seven losses so far this season compared to the dozen wins.

In their dozen wins so far this season, the Bulls are holding their opponents to around 32 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, opponents are shooting around 41 percent from beyond the arc in wins. The key difference here?

The Bulls are leaving around six percent more of opponent three-point attempts uncontested in losses than they are in games they win this season. Coincidence?

Of course not.

It is really tough to fault the Bulls in saying that the perimeter defense was terrible in the loss to the Rockets. The Rockets just had their best shooting performance from downtown on the season, hitting 17 looks on a clip of around 48 percent.

But the Bulls are having issues at times with the likes of point guards Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball getting caught in help defense and trying to fight through screens. Lonzo gave up four three-point makes on six attempts in this loss to the Rockets. And Caruso wasn’t much better.

If the Bulls are tighter on their assignments and have the players in the frontcourt coming out to the perimeter to provide more timely help defense more often, guards like Caruso and Lonzo are going to have an easier time.

The same could be said for star shooting guard Zach LaVine, who played decent defense in this game but got lost off-ball still at times which cost the Bulls in the end.