The Bizarre Stat That Sums Up Why the Chicago Bulls Went in a New Direction

Playing up or down to an opponent became a Chicago Bulls staple in recent years, and the first half of this season proved no different.

Facing off against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics in back-to-back games? Make that two wins! Hosting the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers in your own building? Make that two double-digit losses! This franchise's inability to take care of business and establish a level of consistency has been both excruciating and mind-boggling for quite some time.

The team currently sits 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 25-36 record. A shocking 15 of those wins have come against above .500 teams, as they hold a record of just 15-20 in such outings. When compared to their fellow Eastern Conference members, this actually has the Bulls tied for the 5th-most victories against winning teams in 2025-26. Only the Pistons (24), Celtics (20), Knicks (19), and Cavaliers (16) have more. The Hawks and Raptors are the two squads tied with the Bulls.

Take an even more expansive look at the Western Conference, and the number bumps up to only eight of the league's 30 teams having more wins against above .500 teams than Chicago. The Nuggets and Suns are the others tied with 15, while playoff teams like the Timberwolves and Lakers actually have fewer than the Bulls.

Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls — Feb 21, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan gestures to his team against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Conversely, the Bulls hold a 10-16 record against teams that rank below the .500 threshold. This has them tied for the third-least in the NBA, with only the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers recording fewer. The Nets and Jazz are the other two organizations to have a mere ten victories. All four of those teams not named the Bulls have at least made the most of this ugly record by earning Top 5 lottery odds (for now). Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls currently sit ninth on the board and remain 1.0 game behind the Grizzlies for improved odds.

All things considered, few things better underscore the organization's sheer dysfunction than this stark contrast. Not only does it serve as a reflection of this front office's poor roster construction, but it also puts into question the guidance of Billy Donovan and his coaching staff. You shouldn't be competing with playoff-caliber squads one night before being run off the floor by a team that is outright tanking. Maybe that's just me!

Speaking of which, the Bulls are a combined 2-6 against the bottom three teams in the Eastern Conference this season. They have lost three games to both the Nets and Pacers, and they have a chance to add even more losses to the board with two games left against the 16-win Wizards. Both those games could feature Trae Young, by the way, who is expected to make his Washington debut on Thursday.

Nevertheless, this consistent inconsistency (is that a term?) might as well be the main reason why the roster looks like it does today. To the Bulls' credit, they finally chose not to be blinded by the unexpected wins and focus more on the alarming losses. Where exactly that will lead them is hard to say, but at least the goal appears to be to put an end to the up-and-down results that ultimately led to a vicious cycle of mediocrity.

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