Coming into the season, the Chicago Bulls sat in familiar territory on the majority of power rankings across the league. Sites had them hanging around the 20-23 range, stamping them as a low-seeded Play-In Tournament team. Did someone say deja vu?
To the Bulls’ credit, they immediately defied those expectations. They started the 6-1 with numerous convincing victories over Eastern Conference teams projected to finish well above them in the standings. With these wins over teams like Detroit, Orlando, New York, and Philly, updated power rankings suddenly vaulted the Bulls up near the league’s Top 10. Their combination of unselfish ball movement and exhausting PACE looked like the real deal … until it didn’t.
The cracks started to show as the team’s schedule ramped up further. Losses to the Bucks, Cavaliers, and Spurs reminded the team that they still have a lot of growing up to do, as well as a clear superstar void to fill. Then, underwhelming losses to the beat-up Pistons and rebuilding Jazz revealed one of the Bulls’ greatest concerns. Both Arturas Karnisovas and Billy Donovan harped on defensive improvement over the offseason, but the roster itself experienced little change. The truth is that they weren’t set up to be a stout defensive unit on paper. The Pistons underscored that by shooting 55.6 percent without Cade Cunningham or Jalen Duren, while the Jazz drained 18 threes and shot 41 free throw attempts several nights later.
Fortunately for the Bulls, they were finally able to stop the bleeding with a heroic win over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. But that one victory isn’t going to do much to stop their power rankings plummet.
Chicago Bulls in Latest Power Rankings
Bleacher Report – 15 (previously 10)NBA.com – 19 (previously 6)USA TODAY – 20 (previously 11)The Athletic – 21 (previously 12)
It’s worth noting here that Bleacher Report’s most recent update came before the Bulls’ ugly double-OT loss to the Utah Jazz. Additionally, the three other outlets all published their most recent power rankings before the Bulls’ latest triumph. A win as bad as the one on Sunday night in Utah could have undoubtedly knocked them down a few more pegs on Bleacher Report’s list. However, a win as impressive as the one in Denver may have led to a slight boost with the other outlets. We’re still early enough in the season that one or two games can leave a meaningful impression.
Nevertheless, the whole point is that the Bulls haven’t received the benefit of the doubt during this losing stretch. It doesn’t matter that three of those games were tight in the second half and won by true superstars in crunch time. The Bulls still lost, and teams hovering around the Top 10 don’t let these kinds of stretches happen, no matter the context.
If the win on Monday showed anything, though, it’s that the Bulls still have a chance to climb back up the ladder. While having this extended losing streak on the resume will make it hard to return anywhere near that 6-12 range, sitting league average could be in their future. Coby White looked stellar in his return with a perfect 14-14 showing at the free-throw line. Chicago’s schedule, while jam-packed, is also significantly less difficult than it was over the last few weeks. The Bulls’ combined record of their next nine opponents is 31-78. If they can capitalize on this weaker schedule, they will avoid another stumble. Lose a few, however, and things are only going to get uglier.
I have zero gripe with these rankings, by the way. As high as I am on a few players on this roster, the team as a whole has a lot of developing to do. It’s also hard to complain when the power rankings essentially mimic the league’s net ratings. Once sitting among the league elites, the Bulls have dropped to the 19th spot with a 115.9 clip. In other words, they have moved back into mid-town!
Speaking of which, while ESPN has yet to release its latest power rankings, Zach Kram and Kevin Pelton did go on to put all 30 teams into tiers. The Bulls fall into what they call the “muddle middle” alongside recognizable teams like the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors. Hello, old friends!
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