Sluggish first-half defense plaguing the Chicago Bulls

In the first half of games this season, the Bulls have a 117.2 defensive rating — good for 25th in the Association.

The Chicago Bulls are in danger of ruining their playoff hopes if they don't find a way to put together complete games. The Bulls have been plagued by sluggish first-half defense, often giving up big leads that their inconsistent offense has had trouble erasing.

The Bulls' poor defensive performance in the first half has cost them countless games, as opponents have been able to take advantage of the slow starts and build on their lead for the entire game. The Bulls have relied heavily on late-game heroics to keep them in contention, but this strategy has proven unsustainable.

Troubling pattern

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is aware of this trend and is working hard to address the issue, but it's becoming increasingly clear that something needs to change.

There are too many lapses in communication and effort on defense for the Bulls to remain competitive in the second half. It could spell trouble for their playoff hopes if they can't figure out how to keep up their defensive intensity throughout a game.

"We just can't have things externally kick us into gear and motivate us," Donovan said. "And what I mean by that is the scoreboard."

In their last game against the Sacramento Kings, the Bulls fell behind by 18, 43-61, in the second quarter before catching up in the second half. However, they failed to sustain their momentum and eventually fell 101-110 to drop to 9-14 for the season.

Good defense for all four quarters

Chicago plays above-average defense; they are 12th in the league in defensive rating. However, that number does not tell the other side of the story; in the first half of games this season, the Bulls have a 117.2 defensive rating — good for 25th in the Association.

The Bulls need to play solid defense for all four quarters, not just the last two if they are going to make it back to the playoffs and compete with some of the best teams in the NBA. Until they figure out how to maintain their defensive intensity from start to finish, they will be flirting with disaster come playoff time.