Chicago Bulls Off Day: Welcoming Back Role Players, Second-Chance Points, A Must-Win Weekend?

As the Chicago Bulls soak up the final hours of their extended break, let's go over some off-day notes!

Welcoming Back Some Role Players

Isaac Okoro of the Chicago Bulls — Nov 16, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Chicago Bulls forward/guard Isaac Okoro (35) drives around Utah Jazz forward/center Lauri Markkanen (23) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

The positive news continued for the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

After having multiple players finally return to the practice floor during this four-day break, the team has made some changes to the official injury report. Tre Jones, Jalen Smith, and Isaac Okoro have each been upgraded to probable for Friday night's meeting with the Charlotte Hornets.

Each has sat out multiple games, with Okoro missing the most time. The recently-acquired wing has been sidelined since Chicago's blowout loss to the Miami Heat on November 24. In other words, he has missed eight consecutive games, including the entirety of this seven-game losing streak.

While it's safe to say he has not been the defensive force this team hoped for to start the year, there is no question that Okoro can help set a better tone on that side of the ball. Chicago has held the seventh-worst defensive rating over the last ten games and has allowed 123.4 points a night, which is the fourth-most in the NBA. Okoro's versatility and more physical mindset will be a welcome sight.

The question now is whether or not Okoro will immediately rejoin the starting lineup. To be sure, nobody has played well enough to steal the spot in his absence, but the forward could be on a minutes restriction during his first couple of games back. Managing that workload would likely be easier for Billy Donovan with him as part of the second unit.

It's also worth noting ahead of Friday night's return to action that the Hornets have already ruled out multiple players. LaMelo Ball will be in street clothes for the second straight game as he deals with a bone bruise. Collin Sexton is also expected to be sidelined with a quad strain, joining Pat Connaughton and Tre Mann. Meanwhile, Moussa Diabate is questionable.

Sexton, in particular, proved to be a major problem in the Bulls' last meeting with Charlotte. He dropped 21 points off the bench on 8-15 shooting from the field in his team's 123-116 victory.

The Second-Chance Points Problem

Jalen Smith of the Chicago Bulls — Oct 16, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward/center Jalen Smith (25) and forward Matas Buzelis (14) go up for a rebound against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Athletic's Fred Katz published a piece this week highlighting the uptick in offensive rebounding across the league. Along with being a great read, it served as another example of why the Chicago Bulls find themselves behind the eight ball.

Over their last 15 games, the Bulls have been a complete and utter mess on the offensive boards. They have ranked 26th in OREB% (27.5), 27th in second-chance points (12.7), and 26th in opponent second-chance points (17.3). As bad as things have been defensively, it's been the discrepancy in extra possessions that has really felt like a back-breaker down the stretch of recent close games.

To this day, Chicago's 38 second-chance points allowed the Portland Trail Blazers on November 19 remains the most by any team this season. The Bulls' 310 total second-chance points on the year also represent the fewest by any team not named the Milwaukee Bucks.

There are a lot of things the Bulls need to fix if they want to snap out of this funk. I think we all know that. However, a more focused effort on the glass would be a really good place to start. Especially for a group that is at its best in transition, the more you can corral long rebounds and avoid taking the ball out from underneath the basket, the better.

A Must-Win Scenario?

Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls — Nov 22, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan directs his team against the Washington Wizards during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

It sounds a bit alarmist to declare any game a must-win in early December, but let's not pretend this weekend's slate doesn't feel that way.

The Bulls are 3-13 in their last 16 games. They have not lost seven games in a row since the Head Coach That Shall Not Be Named was talking about "growth plates" and "spirit" on the sideline. Losing for the second time in seven games to the Hornets and Pelicans – after losing for the second time in four games to the Pacers – would officially take the season off life support.

Even if most would agree the Chicago Bulls should be trade deadline sellers regardless of the outcome, there is still a sense of pride that should exist inside every locker room. Particularly for a franchise trying to develop young talent, you do not want to teach bad habits or create a toxic culture. The Bulls do not have to be a playoff or Play-In team for this season to be successful, but they also can't be showing others that they roll over when adversity strikes.

Additionally, things are only about to get harder for the Bulls. Following these two winnable games, Chicago will see two mini-series against the Cavaliers and Hawks before Christmas break. So if they can't manage to snap the streak now, it's going to be hard to see an end in sight.