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Chicago Bulls' defense needs to be consistently good if they are to turn this season around

Originally posted on Chicago Bulls on SI | By Nick Raguz | Last updated Dec 6, 2023 5:53 AM ET

The two straight wins are well and good, but the Chicago Bulls are still sleeping with one eye open. This is because they know there’s still a lot of work to do to get themselves out of the hole they have dug for themselves this season. Besides, veteran big man Nikola Vucevic has been in this situation before.

“We’ve been saying that the past few seasons. It seems like when we get one thing going or fixed, something else shows up. We’ve shown we can play a certain way for a game or two, but we have to be more consistent,” Vucevic said.

Got something going

The Bulls have won two straight games over high-quality opponents to push their record to 7-14. Despite not having All-Star Zach LaVine, Chicago has seemingly found a formula that works, and it all starts with defense. With quick and agile defenders like Coby White, Patrick Williams, and Ayo Dosunmu, the Bulls have been able to wreak havoc, forcing turnovers and converting them into easy baskets.

This type of defense has done wonders for the Bulls’ offense, as they have averaged 122 points in their last two outings.

“It starts there for us. If we communicate and pay attention to the details, we can be really good, but we’ve got to get on the same page,” White said.

Better communication

Bulls coach Billy Donovan also harped on the importance of paying attention to details like what defensive coverage the team is employing on a certain possession or player. All these small details can make the difference between winning and losing.

“I think one of the things we can be better as a staff is, a lot of times, our adjustments have been in pick-and-roll coverages and in matchups — the changing on the fly in the course of the game,” Donovan said.

“During the course of the game, we’ve got to be better (at) helping the five guys. That’s been part of the miscommunication, too. We’ve got to make sure, ‘Guys, listen, this is what we’re in right now.’ Those are things we can do as a staff to try to help more.”

This article first appeared on Chicago Bulls on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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