NBA Power Rankings: Did the Chicago Bulls' Win Streak Earn Them Some Respect?

There is no denying that the Chicago Bulls have looked rejuvenated in recent weeks.

After losing eight of nine games to tumble down the Eastern Conference standings, the Bulls came surging back. Their healthier rotation swept two straight series against the Cavaliers and Hawks before picking up another clutch victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. While they ultimately saw their losing streak snapped on Saturday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, their five consecutive wins left a strong impression.

Over the last six games, the Bulls have held the 8th-highest net rating in the NBA. Their offense has done the majority of the heavy lifting, as they have scored 125.5 points per game and have recorded the NBA's second-highest effective field goal percentage (58.8). Their combination of speed and ball movement has repeatedly worn teams down, as they have now moved into sixth in fastbreak points a night and second in PACE, per NBA Stats.

Of course, if their ugly start to December taught us anything, it's that consistency is key. As explosive as this group can be, their identity has still proven rather fragile, while their absence of a true leading man can be brutally apparent on some nights. That's why many still seem to believe that a trade deadline sell-off is coming their way, as well as why many are not buying into a continued climb up the NBA leaderboards.

Latest Power Rankings for the Chicago Bulls

Tre Jones of the Chicago Bulls to Jalen Smith — Dec 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) defends Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

While the box scores have caught the attention of some, it has yet to turn many heads. The latest set of Power Rankings continues to have the Chicago Bulls in all-too-familiar territory.

NBA.com kept Billy Donovan's team near the bottom of the barrel at No. 23 overall. This was only a two-spot bump from their previous rankings. The teams directly below them include the Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, the NBA places the Clippers, Nets, and Hornets directly above the Bulls. All things considered, you sure do not like to see two rebuilding squads in the East sitting multiple spots higher.

ClutchPoints remained similarly underwhelmed by the Bulls' win streak. In fact, they even chose to move the Bulls down three spots from their previous placement. Milwaukee leap-frogged Chicago with the weekend victory, dropping the Bulls to No. 21.

Both The Athletic and Bleacher Report were a little nicer. The former already had the Bulls within the Top 20 at No. 19, and they chose to keep them there in the wake of the win streak. As for the latter, Bleacher Report also had the Bulls at No. 19, but this came after placing the team at No. 23 in past weeks. To be clear, it's worth mentioning that B/R published their rankings the day after Christmas, which means this does not take into account Chicago's fifth straight win or the most recent loss to Milwaukee.

Regardless, I think it's fair to say that these power rankings speak volumes. As well as they have performed in recent weeks, the Bulls clearly still have a LONG way to go before anyone is prepared to take them seriously. After all, they still sit 9th in the East with a slew of losses against a large chunk of the NBA's worst teams. This is why the doubters – and trade rumors – aren't going anywhere any time soon.