Chicago Bulls have work cut out for them on defense

The Chicago Bulls are coming off a surprisingly positive season, even though they were unable to make it past the first round of the playoffs. One of the main reasons for that failure was their poor defense. This offseason, the Bulls have made it a priority to improve on that end of the court, and from the look of their first preseason game, they have some work cut out for them.

40 points in the first quarter

For a team that ranked 20th in defense last season, the Bulls surely focused on paying more attention to the defensive end of the floor. However, in their first preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans, they allowed 40 points in the first quarter and 129 when all was said and done — certainly not the defensive performance they were hoping for.

"We've got a long way to go defensively, There's no question about that," said head coach Billy Donovan not long after the final buzzer sounded.

Whether it was CJ McCollum getting a clear lane off a pick and roll, or Zion Williamson driving along the baseline for an uncontested slam, the Bulls had trouble stopping anyone from getting to their spots all night. The good news for the Bulls is that it's only the preseason, but they will have to shore up their defense if they want to make any noise in the regular season.

Still, defensive specialist Alex Caruso warned that they must work harder on that end of the floor.

"We kind of were just going through the motions, which is a little disappointing," Caruso said

Alex Caruso on the Bulls’ first-half defense against the Pelicans: “We kind of just we’re going through the motions, which is a little disappointing.” pic.twitter.com/diAHZQiIf0
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) October 5, 2022

Enough time to right the ship

The Bulls still have time to right the ship before the regular season starts. And with players like Caruso and Patrick Williams, who are known for their defensive prowess, they have the personnel to make a difference on that end of the floor.

But All-Star wingman Zach LaVine knows they have to ramp it up on that end and do it fast before it becomes an unsightly habit.

"We got to pick it up on that end. We know what our shortcomings are. So it's just trying to fill those gaps," said LaVine. "Now, if it keeps a pattern on and on, that's when you start getting a little more concerned. Right now, I'm not concerned at all."

Zach with the tough bucket@ZachLaVine | @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/hajwocWrTO
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 5, 2022