Chicago's troublesome weakness at risk of onslaught against Cleveland

Following a four-game skid, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Atlanta Hawks behind a furious second-half comeback on November 9. The Bulls allowed the Hawks to rack up 70 points at the half, leading to a 10-point deficit for Chicago. However, the Bulls outscored Atlanta 65 to 43 in the second half to earn their fourth victory of the season.

While allowing 113 points isn't an indicator of a staunch defense, the Bulls had yet to allow less than 119 points in November, thus such a total was an improvement on the less glamorous end. In this effort, Chicago limited Atlanta to a 46.1 percent clip from the field and a 31.0 percent mark from beyond the arc.

The Bulls did some good things defensively, as evidenced by Atlanta's low(ish) shooting percentages and a season-high 12 steals. Besides the successes, a major weakness continued to plague the Bulls. Chicago again ceded the points in the paint battle, allowing Atlanta to score more than half of its points in the paint—64 to be exact.

Chicago's struggles defending the interior are noteworthy

Chicago ranks dead last in the NBA, allowing its opponents to score 58.8 points in the paint per game. Furthermore, opponents are shooting a league-leading 70.6 percent from inside six feet against the Bulls. Chicago is the only team in the association that allows its opponents' field goal percentage to increase by six or more percentage points within the restricted area.

The Bulls' defense has been plagued by a lack of overall height and shot-blockers. Not one Bull is averaging over a block a game. Nikola Vucevic leads the team, averaging 0.8 swats per game, but also allows his opponents to shoot nearly five percentage points better from the paint. To make matters worse, Vucevic's counterpart in the frontcourt, 6-foot-7 Patrick Williams, allows his opposition to shoot 9.4 percent better than their average within six feet.

The Bulls' interior defense is porous without a known formula for improvement. And what's next will offer one of the most strenuous tests of the young season. Chicago faces off against the 11-0 Cleveland Cavaliers on November 11. Besides the perfect record, the Cavs boast a terrific offense that ranks top-five in the NBA in points in the paint.

Cleveland's dominant frontcourt presents the ultimate test

The Cavaliers frontcourt is long, athletic, and extremely efficient, led by Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Mobley is shooting 55.9 percent from the floor, while Allen ranks fifth in the NBA, shooting 65.6 percent from the field. Nullifying the Cavs' length will be nearly impossible for the Bulls as Chicago's lineups usually only consist of two players 6-foot-10 or above.

A strong defensive performance on the interior could spell an early season turnaround for the Bulls. The Cavaliers present a formidable challenge, but if the Bulls stop Cleveland from winning the battle on the interior, who's to say Chicago doesn't have a chance of knocking off the lone, remaining unbeaten squad?

It's far easier said than done, but sans the lack of interior defense, the Bulls' defense as a whole isn't that bad. Chicago's opponents have failed to shoot it well from beyond the arc and don't rebound too many of their own misses. The Bulls happen to be the best defensive-rebounding team in the NBA. And, although Chicago ranks near the bottom of the league in blocks, they're 12th in contested shots per game.

Sure, a defensive stalwart on the interior would pay dividends against an undefeated Cleveland squad, but a premier shot-blocker and size isn't always the key to preventing opponents from scoring a barrage of points from the interior. For instance, the Oklahoma City Thunder possess the league's best defense and allow its opponents to score the fourth-fewest points from the paint while only playing one player taller than 6-foot-9. The Thunder's key to premier defense starts on the perimeter—something Chicago should take note of.

Mobley and Allen will feast at the rim without an intimidating presence on the interior. If the Bulls have any hopes of knocking off their division rival, it begins with an improved defense from the perimeter inward.