Bulls' Tank-Style Win May Be More Nerve-Wracking Than Entertaining This Season
The Chicago Bulls' new roster, built around the idea of tanking for a high draft pick, put on an impressive display of competitive basketball in their recent 136-120 win over the Denver Nuggets. However, coach Billy Donovan has already expressed concerns about the team's defensive shortcomings, particularly in crunch time.
While the Bulls managed to put up seven players in double figures, they struggled to contain Nikola Jokic, who dominated with 22 points, 17 assists, and 14 rebounds, including a plus-19 in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets' star's impressive performance was a testament to his exceptional all-around skills, which Donovan has publicly praised.
The Bulls' new core players, including Collin Sexton, Nick Richards, Anfernee Simons, Guerschon Yabusele, and Jaden Ivey, showed flashes of brilliance, with Matas Buzelis leading the team with 21 points and eight rebounds. However, the young players still have a long way to go in terms of consistency and cohesion.
Ivey, who played 33 minutes in his Bulls debut on Thursday, admitted that it's tough to quickly adapt to new teammates and systems, likening it to playing pickup games at the local gym. Donovan echoed similar sentiments, saying that the team needs to work on its spacing and defense, which has been a weakness all season.
The Bulls' coach also expressed concerns about putting too much stock in their 15-5 run at the end of last season's regular campaign. "When there was a meaningful game, like a Game 7, so to speak, we got really dominated," Donovan said, highlighting that growth and improvement are necessary for the team to succeed.
As the Bulls head into the final stretch of the season, they face an uphill battle in terms of tanking for a high draft pick while trying to build momentum. With their new roster still finding its footing, it's uncertain whether this team can sustain the level of play that made them competitive against the Nuggets.
The Chicago Bulls' new roster, built around the idea of tanking for a high draft pick, put on an impressive display of competitive basketball in their recent 136-120 win over the Denver Nuggets. However, coach Billy Donovan has already expressed concerns about the team's defensive shortcomings, particularly in crunch time.
While the Bulls managed to put up seven players in double figures, they struggled to contain Nikola Jokic, who dominated with 22 points, 17 assists, and 14 rebounds, including a plus-19 in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets' star's impressive performance was a testament to his exceptional all-around skills, which Donovan has publicly praised.
The Bulls' new core players, including Collin Sexton, Nick Richards, Anfernee Simons, Guerschon Yabusele, and Jaden Ivey, showed flashes of brilliance, with Matas Buzelis leading the team with 21 points and eight rebounds. However, the young players still have a long way to go in terms of consistency and cohesion.
Ivey, who played 33 minutes in his Bulls debut on Thursday, admitted that it's tough to quickly adapt to new teammates and systems, likening it to playing pickup games at the local gym. Donovan echoed similar sentiments, saying that the team needs to work on its spacing and defense, which has been a weakness all season.
The Bulls' coach also expressed concerns about putting too much stock in their 15-5 run at the end of last season's regular campaign. "When there was a meaningful game, like a Game 7, so to speak, we got really dominated," Donovan said, highlighting that growth and improvement are necessary for the team to succeed.
As the Bulls head into the final stretch of the season, they face an uphill battle in terms of tanking for a high draft pick while trying to build momentum. With their new roster still finding its footing, it's uncertain whether this team can sustain the level of play that made them competitive against the Nuggets.
, but also super nerve-wracking 
at times. They're trying so hard to tank for a high draft pick, but they still gotta work on their defense 
. Those young players are showing flashes of brilliance, like Ivey and the rest, but they need more cohesion 
and consistency. Coach Donovan is right, putting too much stock in that one good stretch at the end last season won't cut it 
. The Bulls gotta keep grinding and trust the process 
. And Jokic is straight fire 
- he's the real deal!
so i think whats going on with the bulls is like a big puzzle 
️ they got some cool pieces (young players) but they dont quite fit together yet 
and theres this other piece (tank-style win) that they gotta balance out 
its hard to know if theyre gonna be able to pull it off 
but its not just that... its like "hey we need to learn how to play together as a team" 
and thats hard to do when you got new players coming in all the time 
cuz they got some talent 
. Coach Donovan's got his hands full trying to balance tanking with competitiveness 
. I'm rooting for them, but it's gonna be tough to see 'em struggle in crunch time 
. Maybe they'll surprise us and do some magic 
?
. nikola jokic absolutely destroyed them, and it's hard to ignore that fact. collin sexton and the youngins did show some promise, though 
. can this team find a balance between tanking for the draft and actually winning some games? only time'll tell, i guess 
. But on the other hand, their defense is still super weak and it's a concern for me 
. They need to work on that spacing and cohesion ASAP, or else it'll be tough for them to compete in the playoffs 
. Ivey said something about playing pickup games at the gym, which kinda hits home for me - sometimes you just gotta start with small wins and build up from there 
. However, at the same time, there's a pressing need for improvement in areas like spacing and defense - issues that are more critical than just winning or losing.
, but I'm excited to see how Collin Sexton and the rest of those youngsters gel together.
. This Bulls' tank-style win over the Nuggets was definitely entertaining, but it's got me wondering if that's really what we want to see from our teams this season.
. It's not exactly the most inspiring thing for fans, especially when you consider all the hard work and dedication that goes into building a winning team. And what about the players themselves? They're being asked to adapt to new teammates and systems on the fly, which can be tough enough without having to worry about losing games too.
. Maybe the Bulls should take a step back and re-evaluate what's going on. Are they truly tanking for a higher draft pick or are they just not good enough to compete with the top teams?
they cant just rely on scoring and hoping for a high draft pick 
collin sexton and jaden ivec are so talented but we need to see them come together more on D 
gotta put in the work if u wanna make it rn 
they're like, trying to tank for a good draft pick but are actually putting out some solid basketball games 
anyhoo, gotta see how they do in the remaining games, maybe they can find a balance between tanking and being competitive 
. but yeah, defense can be tough, especially in crunch time... maybe don't worry too much about the tanking thing and just focus on having fun with the game 
collin sexton is looking fire 
but yeah, defense needs work 
coach donovan's right on point tho, spacing & defense is key 
gotta work on those weaknesses before it's too late 
. I mean, I get it, tanking for a high draft pick is the goal, but at what cost? It's like watching a train wreck that you can't look away from - you know it's gonna be ugly, but you're drawn to it anyway 
. They need to grow and improve, especially if they want to build momentum and make some noise in the playoffs 
(2006 Bulls & 2019 Lakers). However, they both ended up with low draft picks 
. Meanwhile, this year's Bulls have an average of 122.4 points per game 
.