Bulls become NBA's new laughing stock after inexcusable loss

Just two days removed from picking up a tough win on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Chicago Bulls had a big opportunity to prove their doubters wrong last night. Dare I say, it finally felt like the Bulls were building steam and within arm's reach of returning to a .500 winning percentage.

Possessing a 27-30 record entering last night's game at home against the Pistons, a win last night would have been instrumental to that effort. This much is especially true considering Chicago has a string of tough opponents in the Cavaliers, Bucks, and Kings next up on the schedule. They needed a win against the NBA's worst team last night if they wanted to keep their heads above water over this difficult stretch.

This shouldn't have been too tall of a task for this Bulls team. After all, the Pistons entered last night 8-49 and are on track to become one of the worst teams in NBA history. Still, it shouldn't be forgotten that Detroit already defeated Chicago in the third game of the season, bringing a 15-game and four-year-long win streak to a close.

It would seem the Bulls didn't learn their lesson, however, as they overlooked the Pistons and once again choked away a big opportunity to add a 28th victory to the win column. After racing out to a 29-22 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Pistons would go on to steal the final three periods and eventually win the game 95-105.

The Bulls should feel embarrassed after losing not once, but twice to the worst team in the NBA.

This was a horrendous all-around performance for the Bulls. I wouldn't feel comfortable saying any player played particularly well last night. Even Nikola Vucevic — who tallied 25 points and 10 rebounds on 12-for-23 shooting — was repeatedly abused on the defensive end, resulting in an egregious game-worst -21 plus/minus. DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond are probably the only players deserving of a pass, as the two combined 45 points and 14 rebounds, doing everything they could to keep the Bulls in the game.

Nothing could have saved Chicago from their historically poor shooting night, however, as the Bulls converted on just 2 of 29 three-point attempts. Vucevic shot 1-for-7 from beyond the arc. Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Alex Caruso all went 0-for-5. Even DeRozan failed to get one in the hoop.. This 6.9% success rate is not only the lowest of any team this season, it's the second-lowest mark of any team to attempt at least 25 threes in a game in NBA history.

Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 26 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds on 9-for-13 shooting in their winning effort. Aside from their floor general, however, nobody on Detroit's roster played exceptionally well. This just makes this loss look all the more embarrassing, as the Bulls were their own worst enemy.

For a franchise that was already struggling to keep the fanbase content, this loss is something that everyone from the suits in the front office to the players on the court must be held accountable for.

Losing to the historically bad Pistons not once, but twice, is a stain on the season that's not going to wash out easily. Now with an imposing set of games coming up on the schedule and the 10th-seeded Hawks gaining ground in the standings, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bulls' season spiral out of control sooner rather than later. Whether or not this will bear any consequences for Arturas Karnisovas, well, that much remains to be seen.