The Chicago Bulls endured their worst loss of the season on Monday Night. They took on the then two-win New Orleans Pelicans and lost by 13 points. Chicago scored 130 points, so the offense was not the issue. However, the Bulls allowed 143 points for the second time in four days.
The defensive struggles are nothing new for Billy Donovan’s Bulls. But the head coach did not hold back when speaking on the loss after the game.
“Our team, outside of maybe Isaac Okoro, we don’t have one guy on the team right now that you would sit there and ‘this guy’s a defensive stopper. This is what this guy hangs his hat on,’” Donovan said, per The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi. “It’s not one guy’s fault; it’s all of us. It’s the coaches, the players. … It’s a team issue.”
The Bulls have allowed 120 points or more in 13 of their 17 games this season. That includes each of their last 10 games. Donovan knows that something has to change for the team to start winning games consistently.
The Bulls Have Struggled on Defense All Season
GettyThe Bulls are allowing 124.2 points per game this season.
The Bulls struggling on the defensive end of the court is nothing new for them. Last season, Chicago ranked 29th in points allowed per game (119.4). This year, through 17 games, Chicago has allowed 124.2 points per game, which is the fourth-most in the NBA.
Digging a bit deeper, the Bulls are 22nd in defensive rating (117.3), 29th in opponent second chance points per game (18.4), 21st in opponent fast break points (16.3), and last in opponent points in the paint (56.7). This is a team that relies on its offensive ability to keep them in games. However, their defensive play makes it extremely hard for the offense to keep up.
Chicago was missing Nikola Vucevic on Monday night, which forced them into a smaller lineup. Still, he is not a huge difference-maker on the defensive end. The best defensive player on Chicago, in terms of defensive rating, is Dalen Terry. But Terry has only played in 10 of the team’s games. He is the only player to have a defensive rating below 100, though.
Donovan mentioned Isaac Okoro as being his best defensive asset during his two-minute rant after Monday’s loss. The only problem with that statement is Okoro has the highest defensive rating on the team. Now, that does get affected by playing time, and what happens around the player. But Okoro and the rest of the starting lineup have struggled to stop opposing teams.
How Do the Bulls Fix This?
Getty. The Bulls have allowed 120+ points in each of their last 10 games.
The Bulls must find a way to fix their defensive struggles, and they need to do it sooner rather than later. There are a few things the team can try, though.
The NBA is a fast-paced type of game this season. Teams want to run, and they want to score. Fans want to see that happen, as well. However, that makes it hard to win if the defense can’t keep up in transition, much like Chicago’s.
The Bulls currently rank second in pace, which means they push the ball and take their shots. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs are three of the league’s best defenses. All three of them rank in the bottom 10 in pace, as well. Now, slowing down the game does not work for every team, but it is something that could be worth a shot for the Bulls.
Chicago also has to stop allowing offensive rebounds and second-chance points. It was already stated that the Bulls allow the second-most second-chance points per game, but they also allow opponents to grab the fourth-most offensive rebounds. Crashing the glass, boxing out, and playing fundamental basketball are going to be key for the Bulls moving forward.
Despite their struggles, the Bulls are still one game over .500. The season is still young, and the team has plenty of time to correct its defensive faults.
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