It should be abundantly clear that one of the biggest reasons for the Chicago Bulls' underperforming as of late has been their lack of stable veteran leadership. This team simply needs more out of Nikola Vucevic if they're going to right the ship.
First off, we should acknowledge that Vuc would likely be better suited playing on a contending team right now. It wouldn't be wrong of him to desire a change of scenery, and much of the Bulls fanbase is past ready to move on from him. But while he remains in Chicago, the effort and tenacity have to ratchet up a few notches.
This is especially true considering where the Bulls have been over the course of the last week and a half. Their performance has been dreadful with six straight losses, most of them coming to some of the worst teams record-wise in the Association.
Chicago has suffered losses to the Pelicans, Hornets, Nets, and Pacers twice in their last six contests. That's simply unacceptable for a team that started the season 6-1 and was playing some excellent basketball. The Bulls know what they're capable of, and losing to this kind of competition on a consistent basis is indicative of bigger issues.
The Bulls need a more positive impact out of Nikola Vucevic
The frustration was there before this recent stretch of losses as well. We all remember seeing Vucevic stoic while the rest of his younger teammates were ecstatic after a close, one-point win over the Wizards on November 22. That was the reaction of a man who has been there and done that, trying to instill some pride in his team.
Vuc knows that celebrating that kind of close win where a victory should have been a given is borderline embarrassing. But the painful thing about this is that ever since then, it's been nothing but losses for the Bulls, and Vucevic hasn't been playing his best basketball.
It's been a stretch of up-and-down effort for Chicago's starting center, and the fanbase is understandably frustrated given the circumstances. To put up these kinds of performances immediately following a call for improvement for the rest of the roster is not the greatest look.
This team desperately needs Nikola Vucevic to get back to playing inspired ball at both ends of the floor. He's not been a positive as of late, and seeing him come up short of expectations is the last thing this impressionable group of young guys needs right now.