Woeful Start for Bulls; How Do They Fix It?
Remember the optimism around this season? Remember how many predicted the Bulls could possibly start this season off with a 5-0 record?
The first week’s schedule presented very winnable games right??? Wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG!
The Bulls have started the season with a record of 1-3. One of those losses can be excused because it came at the hands of the defending NBA Champions the Toronto Raptors. But the other two were at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets and the New York Knicks.
Yes, the Knickerbockers.
That’s two games the Bulls SHOULD have won, purely based off of the talent of the opposing teams.
A team that wants to and expects to make the playoffs, can not lose games to inferior opponents. There have been several problems displayed by the Bulls in these couple of loses. Their pick n roll defense has been absolutely atrocious! The Knicks especially exploited putting Lauri Markkanen and Zach LaVine in pick and roll situations, where they constantly got lost on who to cover, resulting in drives to the basket and open perimeter shots for New York.
Photo: bulls.com
This can not continue to happen, LaVine and Markkanen could fix this issue by simply communicating with each other about who needed to switch, instead of both of them sticking with the same man. Coach Jim Boylen should have been able to pick up on the Knicks strategy and made adjustments as well! Instead, Boylen continues to roll out the same line ups, game after game, that simply just don’t work.
Boylen can not play LaVine and Markkanen, with Luke Kornet. Kornet is not a rim stopper, who has the defensive awareness to cover up for the Bulls mistakes on defense. If LaVine and Markkanen are both on the court, then so should Wendell Carter Jr. WCJ is easily the Bulls’ best defensive player and provides a roadblock to the opposing team. Carter Jr.’s defensive prowess can swing a game back in the Bulls favor.
Photo: bulls.com
Boylen should also think about staggering LaVine and Markkanen’s minuets. By having one of LaVine and Markkanen on the floor at all times, allows for your best players to have a chance to get it going on the offensive end. Markkanen has not been as aggressive as the Bulls would like. Having him be the main offensive option in minutes with the bench unit should force him to have to be more aggressive. It should also eliminate some of your turn, my turn offense by Zach and Lauri.
Now the good news is if some of these adjustments are implemented, and the Bulls actually start making shots. The Bulls still have a good chance of righting the ship. Based on the shooting averages of players like Markkanen, and Otto Porter Jr. it’s no reason to think that shots won’t start falling.
Photo: @zachlavine8
Luckily for the Bulls, the NBA is an 82 game season. So a poor 1-3 start in Oct. might not mean anything come March. But one thing for sure, if the Bulls want to make the playoffs, they will have to make adjustments and be prepared for an uphill battle.
Let’s hope that they are up for the task!
Photos: bulls.com, @zachlavine8
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