To begin on a positive note: The Chicago Bulls were one of the best second-half teams in the NBA last season. Unfortunately -- because there's always a "but" when it comes to this organization -- they needed to be one of the best second-half teams in the NBA because they were one of the worst first-half teams; a trend that has painfully continued through a pair of exhibition contests.
Yes, it's only preseason, but it's not a great sign when a roster that's nearly identical to the prior year has nearly identical problems right out of the gate.
The Chicago Bulls are still getting crushed at the start of games
Chicago was the third-highest scoring second-half team in the league in 2024-25, averaging 59.9 points over the final two quarters. They had a handful of memorable rallies -- because they consistently trailed heading into halftime. The Bulls were outscored by nearly three points per game in the first 24 minutes last season, which ranked 26th in the NBA.
The front office made a few minor changes in the summer, most notably bringing in Isaac Okoro from Cleveland in a deal that sent Lonzo Ball the other way. But for the most part, Chicago is running it back with the same team that struggled to find its footing. Unsurprisingly, that problem has plagued the Bulls once again in a pair of preseason games.
Billy Donovan's squad trailed the Cavaliers by 11 after the first period of its first contest on Oct. 7. The Bulls committed eight turnovers and only forced three, while Cleveland racked up 10 assists on 18 made baskets.
Game two didn't start any better; if anything, it started worse. The Cavs got out to a 7-0 start, which quickly turned into a 12-2 run within less than three minutes, helped by the fact that Cleveland was shooting bonus free throws before the clock had ticked down to 10:00.
Chicago placed a massive emphasis on physicality during training camp, focusing especially on the first few minutes of games. Per point guard Josh Giddey: "We have to be the ones to throw the first punch out of the gate and get other teams on their back foot to get the games on our terms."
Oops.
The Bulls frankly lack the talent to keep themselves in games against top competition like the Cavs on a nightly basis. Reaching the playoffs for the first time in four seasons will be near impossible if they can't figure out how to be competitive from the opening tip.