When Will Chicago Bulls Hit Next Gear in the Eastern Conference?
So far this season, the Chicago Bulls haven't ruled the Eastern Conference like they were expected to. Will they ever take the next step and become the "Beast of the East"?
Right now, the 35-8 Atlanta Hawks are sitting on top of the mountain. The No. 8 seed in the playoffs last year, these guys are the surprise team of the league, having won their last 14 contests. And they're playing like this without a single superstar on the roster, which is amazing.
Many experts and fans have said, "Just wait until Chicago gets rolling; they're the team to beat." However, we've witnessed the Hawks, Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors all take their turns in front of them.
The 28-16 Bulls currently lead the Central Division and own the fourth-best record in the conference.
In December, it looked like they were on their way to taking over the East, winning seven straight games. Unfortunately, they've won only six of their last 13 contests.
One thing's for sure—the talent is definitely there. Chicago's starting five of Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah is truly one of the league's best. And the bench includes several nice pieces like Taj Gibson, Aaron Brooks and Rookie of the Year candidate Nikola Mirotic.
We've been waiting for the Bulls to hit the next gear, but it seems like it may never happen. In order to do so, a couple of things must transpire.
For starters, the injury bug needs to go away. Noah and Dunleavy are both out with ankle injuries, and rookie Doug McDermott has just returned after missing the past 26 games (knee).
Hopefully Rose, who has missed just three of the last 31 games, continues to stay off the shelf for the remainder of the season.
Defense Must Improve
The Bulls aren't playing elite defense this year. While that's a true statement, it just doesn't sound right at all.
Ever since coach Tom Thibodeau took over, the team has never finished worse than third in opponents' points per game. This season, though, they rank 15th, allowing 99.3 a night.
Chicago gave up at least 100 points 16 times a season ago. Opponents have already reached the mark on 22 occasions this season.
Per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com, Rose voiced his frustration with the Bulls D following the January 19 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers: "I think communication is huge. We're quiet when we're out there, and it's leading to them getting easy baskets. We got to give a better effort. It seems like we're not even competing, and it's f-----g irritating."
Also via Friedell, Thibodeau isn't too pleased with his team's performance either: "We got to decide when enough's enough. The way we're playing is not acceptable, so we have to change it."
Without a doubt, Chicago would be a much better defensive team if it wasn't for Noah's struggles. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year just hasn't been the same after undergoing offseason knee surgery.
And it doesn't help that with the addition of Gasol, Noah has to play out of position and chase stretch 4s around instead of protecting the basket.
It's crazy to think that a team with such great defenders like Noah, Butler and Gibson would have trouble shutting down opponents.
If the D doesn't improve, the Bulls can forget about winning a title this year.
Protect Their Home Floor
Opponents are supposed to be intimidated when playing the Bulls in Chicago. However, the team isn't so scary at home these days, owning a 13-10 record at the United Center.
Although they've lost to some quality teams like the Golden State Warriors, Hawks and Wizards, there have been a few not-so-spectacular clubs that have gotten the best of them as well. Bleacher Report's Sean Highkin touched on the subject:
"Some of the home losses are understandable. The Hawks are playing better basketball than anyone in the NBA at the moment. Every player on the floor is a threat to score, and the difference in level of execution between the two teams was vast. The Hawks simply don’t make mistakes at either end of the floor.
But the list of teams the Bulls have lost to at home has some names that should, and do, concern everybody. The Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets are all teams that have come into the United Center this season and won.
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The January 7 loss to the Utah Jazz (97-77) was nothing less than embarrassing. Sure, everybody loses to bad teams here and there. Even Michael Jordan's 1995-96 Bulls, who went 72-10, fell to the lowly Toronto Raptors.
But it's just sad when a rebuilding team whoops you by 20 points on your home floor. And to make matters worse, Rose, Butler, Gasol, Noah and Gibson played in that game. Chicago shot a horrific 33.3 percent from the floor, which, of course, is a recipe for disaster.
The Bulls did look phenomenal, though, in their recent 104-81 home win over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Maybe they'll continue to play like that at the UC. Fans in the Windy City sure hope so.
All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com and accurate as of January 23.
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