Winning is overrated. Well… at least if you're a bottom-feeder approaching one of the deepest draft classes in recent memory. If that's the case, losing is all the rage, and oh boy, some teams have embraced it.
Tanking is running rampant
The league-worst Sacramento Kings have already shut down Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine for the season. The Utah Jazz appear eager to stay competitive in the draft-position arms race, as trade-deadline addition Jaren Jackson Jr. has already been shut down. At the same time, Lauri Markkanen reportedly suffered an MRI-worthy injury in practice.
In the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, and Washington Wizards have seemingly been locked in a season-long battle for the league’s worst record.
But where does that leave the Chicago Bulls? This is a team that began the season 5–0 and showed no outright intention to tank until the trade deadline. Sure, the Bulls have lost 10 straight, which is about as tanky as it gets, but unlike the aforementioned teams, Chicago’s version isn’t so in-your-face.
Yet the trade deadline shakeup has plenty to do with the Bulls’ recent skid. Chicago hasn’t shut down any prominent players, but jettisoning eight at the deadline and bringing in seven new faces—without a true purpose (besides acquiring a plethora of second-round picks)—is bound to produce losses.
The Bulls have a turnover problem
However, there’s more to Chicago’s struggles than the roster overhaul. The Bulls are turning the ball over at an alarming rate: 21.0 times per game since the All-Star break, which is the worst mark in the NBA by a wide margin. In fact, they’re the only team in the league averaging more than 20 turnovers per game during that span.
Prior to the midseason festivities, the Bulls ranked 16th in the league, averaging 14.5 turnovers per game. That figure was just 0.3 higher than the 10th-place Miami Heat, putting Chicago within striking distance of the top 10.
Moreover, considering Chicago’s uptempo style, fifth in the NBA in pace before the break, the Chicago Bulls ranked 13th in turnover percentage. Not bad for a team intent on pushing the tempo, a style that typically leads to more mistakes.
Since the All-Star break, however, Chicago’s pace has dropped to 16th in the NBA. Consequently, the Chicago Bulls now rank dead last in turnover percentage, nearly three percentage points worse than 29th, the same margin separating 29th from 20th.
Yikes… the Bulls just can’t get out of their own way. Four players are averaging at least 2.0 turnovers per game since the All-Star break, led by Josh Giddey at 4.0 per contest. Additionally, 10 Bulls are averaging at least one turnover per game during that span.
Chicago isn’t tanking in plain sight like some others, but consistently handing the ball to the opponent is a quieter route to defeat. When teams are scoring 24.3 points per game off your turnovers, the outcome becomes predictable. If this trend continues, the losses will take care of themselves down the stretch.