The Chicago Bulls began the season with a perfect 5-0 record, and it seemed like all the pieces were finally starting to fall into place for this team to be a true contender. Now, their defense has regressed majorly, leaving them with a 1-5 record in their last six games. The Bulls are going to have to fix their defensive problems if they hope to rebound.
Coming into the season, defensive effort and physicality was supposed to be one of this team's building blocks. We've seen flashes, but consistency is going to be key. It's reasonable to say that some of Chicago's fast start on defense this season was a result of opponents simply missing shots, and we know that's not sustainable.
Data shows that although the Bulls were allowing fewer points early on, they were still struggling down low, allowing high quality shots at the rim and points in the paint. A defense without a steady foundation that's built on any element of luck or cold shooting is always going to regress, and that's what we're seeing unfold right in front of our eyes.
The Bulls' defensive consistency must improve
The truth is that Chicago doesn't have the kind of offensive firepower right now to cover for a bleeding defense. In their recent losses, the Bulls have been turning the ball over, giving up offensive rebounds, and surrendering long scoring runs to their opponents. All this encompasses the making of an unwanted early season turnaround.
Really, the fix for this team isn't going to be an external one. The Bulls don't necessarily need to pull off some sort of big trade to fix their defense, they just need to build a higher-level and more sustainable defensive identity. Put together the kind of outings on defense that feel replicable, find lineups that protect the paint better and stop surrendering so many rebounds, and you're going to go a long way toward fixing these problems.
A lot of this is going to fall on coaching, but Chicago has the defensive personnel to achieve this vision. The Bulls still have a talented young core that has built some early momentum. There's a path to making internal improvement to the point that this hot start doesn't end up getting wasted.
It's really pretty simple. Lock in on defense and find ways to maximize your talent on that end of the floor, or this season could end up as one big missed opportunity for the Bulls.