The Bulls' new-look roster showed glimpses of promise on Saturday night in their 136-120 loss to the Nuggets, but it's hard not to wonder if Chicago is setting itself up for another disappointing season by tanking for draft lottery balls.
With Nikola Jokic continuing to break records, including passing Oscar Robertson for the second-most triple-doubles in NBA history (182), he played a key role in Denver's victory. The Nuggets' big man had 22 points, 17 assists, and 14 rebounds, helping his team outscore the Bulls by 23 in the fourth quarter.
On the other hand, the Bulls showed flashes of competitiveness, with seven players scoring in double figures. Matas Buzelis led the way with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Collin Sexton had 17 points, Nick Richards and Anfernee Simons each added 15, and Jaden Ivey chipped in with 10.
Despite the promising start, coach Billy Donovan was quick to point out that his team's defense was a major issue. "The defense was not good [in the fourth quarter]," he said. "We're going to make some mistakes. The guys are all playing together; guys are forgetting plays; the spacing may not [be there]. It's going to happen, but we've got to get much, much better defensively."
When asked about his approach in figuring out how to play with his new teammates, Ivey acknowledged that it takes time and that he feels like he's still playing a pickup game at the local gym. "I mean, yeah, you ask anybody that gets traded, nobody just comes in and, 'Man, we got it down pat,'" he said.
Meanwhile, Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas might have put too much stock in the team's 15-5 run at the end of last season. When asked about the approach to the rest of this season, Donovan made it clear that he looks at things differently. "The thing that stood out to me more than anything else was the Miami [play-in] game," he said. "When there was a meaningful game, like a Game 7, so to speak, we got really dominated in that game."
It's clear that the Bulls still have work to do if they want to make a deep playoff run this season. While they showed flashes of competitiveness, their defense needs to improve significantly. And with the Nuggets' strong showing, it's hard not to wonder if Chicago is setting itself up for another disappointing season by tanking for draft lottery balls.
With Nikola Jokic continuing to break records, including passing Oscar Robertson for the second-most triple-doubles in NBA history (182), he played a key role in Denver's victory. The Nuggets' big man had 22 points, 17 assists, and 14 rebounds, helping his team outscore the Bulls by 23 in the fourth quarter.
On the other hand, the Bulls showed flashes of competitiveness, with seven players scoring in double figures. Matas Buzelis led the way with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Collin Sexton had 17 points, Nick Richards and Anfernee Simons each added 15, and Jaden Ivey chipped in with 10.
Despite the promising start, coach Billy Donovan was quick to point out that his team's defense was a major issue. "The defense was not good [in the fourth quarter]," he said. "We're going to make some mistakes. The guys are all playing together; guys are forgetting plays; the spacing may not [be there]. It's going to happen, but we've got to get much, much better defensively."
When asked about his approach in figuring out how to play with his new teammates, Ivey acknowledged that it takes time and that he feels like he's still playing a pickup game at the local gym. "I mean, yeah, you ask anybody that gets traded, nobody just comes in and, 'Man, we got it down pat,'" he said.
Meanwhile, Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas might have put too much stock in the team's 15-5 run at the end of last season. When asked about the approach to the rest of this season, Donovan made it clear that he looks at things differently. "The thing that stood out to me more than anything else was the Miami [play-in] game," he said. "When there was a meaningful game, like a Game 7, so to speak, we got really dominated in that game."
It's clear that the Bulls still have work to do if they want to make a deep playoff run this season. While they showed flashes of competitiveness, their defense needs to improve significantly. And with the Nuggets' strong showing, it's hard not to wonder if Chicago is setting itself up for another disappointing season by tanking for draft lottery balls.
omg i'm so done with the bulls right now like they're trying to set themselves up for another tank job and i just can't even 
their defense was straight trash in that 4th quarter it's like they're not even trying anymore 
coach donnie needs to step up his game ASAP because what we're seeing is not a team on the rise 
it's more like a bunch of guys showing up and going through the motions 
and don't even get me started on ivy he's gotta do better than that 
. They did show some promise on Saturday, but coach Donovan is right - defense has got to step up. I mean, 23 points in the fourth quarter? That's just too much to ask of anyone, even with seven players scoring double digits. And yeah, Arturas Karnisovas might've been a bit optimistic about last season's run. But you can't discount the talent they have on the team - Jaden Ivey's got game 
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. Still, I'll keep an eye on this team - they might surprise us yet 
gotta see more than just "promising start" before i buy into it. what's the strategy here? are they actually tanking for draft picks or trying to make a real push for the playoffs? 
need some clarification from the front office before i start liking their chances 
the bulls are def on a slippery slope rn and its scary to see them tankin for draft picks again 
they got some talented players but without a solid defense, im not sure how far they can go this season 
18+ pts, 4+ assists, 3+ rebounds on average this preseason? that's straight fire 
nigel okalore isnt gone yet, i think billy donovan needs to revamp their defensive game ASAP or they'll be stuck in the playoffs forever 
. They got exposed against Miami in the play-in game and now they're getting destroyed by teams like Denver 
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. But hey, maybe I'm just getting too caught up in it all 
. One thing's for sure: they need to step up their game if they want to make a deep playoff run 
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. It's a major concern, especially if they wanna make some noise in the playoffs. I mean, they've got talented guys like Jaden Ivey and Collin Sexton, but if they can't get their D together, it's gonna be tough to compete with teams like Denver 
. I'm still optimistic that they can turn things around, but it's hard not to wonder if they're setting themselves up for another mid-tier season 
. The fact that he points to the Miami play-in game as a turning point is telling – they need to find a way to perform under pressure 
. I still think they've got potential, but it's going to take some time to gel 
.
. 15-5 run at the end of last season might've been cute, but if they're gonna rely on that again, I'm outta here 
. gotta give credit though, Jaden Ivey's still got game, even if he is playing like he's back at the local gym 
to help me get this thought out... 
Please don't get it twisted, they need to step up their D first. 
, but let's be real, their record at the end of last season was super sketchy 
. And Arturas Karnisovas might have had it wrong about their chances this year 
and I love how he's breaking all those records 
. But for the Bulls, they need to figure out who they are as a team before they can start thinking about playoffs 
meanwhile i think coach Donovan is being too real 
. i mean, nikola jokic is just on another level 
they gotta step up their D game if they wanna make a run in the playoffs i mean, nikola jokic is on fire over there 
gotta get those guys communicating and playing like a well-oiled machine. i'm not saying they should tank for the draft, but it feels like they might be setting themselves up for another mediocre season