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Why are the Chicago Bulls struggling so much?
The Chicago Bulls are off to a disappointing 9-12 start. The team had serious playoff aspirations because of their veteran roster and offensive talent, but they're among the worst teams in the Eastern Conference and rank 21st, averaging 111.4 points per 100 possessions.
Will Gottlieb discussed the Bulls' struggles in a recent episode of 'The Step Back Podcast.'
"The big concern that I had coming into the season was you get this All-Star top-10 caliber season from DeMar DeRozan. What happens if he's 90 percent or even 95 percent of what he was last year, where he's not hitting back-to-back game-winners, where he's not breaking Wilt Chamberlain records halfway through the season? Does that make them a 44-win team instead of 46 or 42?
And I think you're starting to see that regress a little bit towards what you know what might have been the normal last year. And then on top of it, you know, LaVine is coming back from this arthroscopic procedure over the summer. He has not looked anything close to what he has been," Gottlieb said.
The Bulls miss Lonzo Ball
Starting point guard Lonzo Ball hasn't played this season, and there's no timeline for his return from left knee surgery, even though there were some reports he might be ready by January early next year. The reality is that the Bulls are missing Ball, and last year, they went 22-13 with Ball and 24-23 without him.
The Bulls were playing at their best getting out in transition with Ball, shooting three-pointers efficiently, and defending at a high level. Per StatMuse, Ball posted a defensive rating of 111 last season.
This season, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine's hero ball haven't been a sustainable source of offense.
Last year the Bulls' offense fizzled out without Ball. Guarding the Bulls was easy when they were coming down the floor, which prompted head Coach Billy Donovan to implement some more movement, maximizing Nikola Vucevic's underrated passing ability, but the offense hasn't clicked consistently. Whether something changes in the near future remains to be seen, and it will be interesting to see if the Bulls' front office looks to make some trades that will give them more firepower on offense.
