On December 3, Chicago Bulls play-by-play announcer Adam Amin highlighted a striking statistic that revealed a key offensive challenge for the team. Despite leading the league in restricted area attempts, Chicago ranked dead last in field goal percentage from that zone in early December.
At that time, the Bulls were mired in a seven-game losing streak, including defeats at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets. Since that stretch, Chicago has rebounded, winning six of their last eight games. During this resurgence, the Bulls’ offensive rating has improved significantly and, coincidentally, so has their restricted area field goal percentage.
Bulls’ restricted area efficiency drives wins
Following the Bulls’ loss to the Nets on December 3, their restricted area field goal percentage stood at 60.2 percent, with an average of 32.9 attempts per game from that zone. Over their last eight contests, however, Chicago has improved to 68.5 percent on 36.1 attempts per game. As a result, the team is making five more field goals per game—or roughly 10 additional points—thanks to more efficient finishing in the restricted area.
The Bulls’ modest 8.3 percentage-point increase in restricted area shooting has quietly fueled their recent success, as they’ve won six of their last eight games. All else considered, Chicago has won only two of those six games by more than 10 points. Without the improvement in restricted area efficiency, the team could easily have dropped four of these contests. Those extra 10 points per game make a significant difference.
When examining Chicago’s struggles in the restricted area earlier in the month, it became clear just how inefficient the team’s primary attackers had been. The Bulls’ four leaders in restricted area attempts—Coby White, Josh Giddey, Ayo Dosunmu, and Matas Buzelis—shot between 56.1 and 61.8 percent. Over the last eight games, however, those same players are connecting at an improved 57.5 to 76.5 percent.
Individually, White is shooting 71.4 percent, Giddey 57.5 percent, Buzelis 75.0 percent, and Dosunmu 76.5 percent from the restricted area. Additionally, while only six Bulls previously averaged more than 2.0 restricted area field goals per game, that number has risen to eight over the past eight games. Chicago’s more balanced attack is paying off, with Nikola Vucevic, Isaac Okoro, and Zach Collins connecting on 68.8 percent of their attempts in the restricted area.
The Bulls have consistently excelled at getting to the rim over the past few seasons. However, their finishing in the restricted area has often been a weakness. Improving in this area is crucial and should continue to bolster Chicago’s offensive efficiency, as demonstrated by the team’s strong performance in the latter half of December.