Chicago Bulls In Rough Patch At Midway Point Of 2021-22 Season

The Chicago Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons by 46 points this past Tuesday, moving to 27-11 on the 2021-22 season in the process and setting themselves up for a chance to make a real contender statement in nationally televised games at home against the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors.

Instead, the Bulls suffered through humiliating losses to the Nets and Warriors, with Zach LaVine suffering a knee injury early in the 42-point loss to Golden State on Friday. Chicago capped off the week by blowing a late six-point lead against the Celtics in Boston on Saturday, giving up the final eight points of the game in a 114-112 loss. Nikola Vucevic missed a wide-open look at a potential game-winning 3 in the final seconds of the heartbreaking loss.

The Bulls now have their first three-game losing streak of the season and have lost four of their last five as they hit the midway point of the campaign. The upcoming week features tough games against the Memphis Grizzlies (road), Cleveland Cavaliers (home) and Milwaukee Bucks (road), meaning a six-game losing streak is very much in play, especially with all the health issues plaguing the roster.

LaVine dodged a bullet with his knee injury and won’t miss extended time, but it’s unclear just when he’ll be back in the lineup. Lonzo Ball is slated to miss at least another game with a knee injury that kept him out of the Celtics loss. Alex Caruso will be back soon, but he’s out against the Grizzlies for “return to competition reconditioning.” Derrick Jones Jr. will miss at least a few weeks with a knee injury suffered in the opening minute of the 26-point loss to Brooklyn. Patrick Williams, Javonte Green and Tyler Cook remain sidelined.

In addition to all this, DeMar DeRozan has regressed from the MVP form he displayed for much of the first half of the season. The Bulls star is averaging just 21.4 points on 45.3% shooting in January and hasn’t hit a 3-pointer since his second consecutive buzzer-beater on New Year’s Day. His poor defense has also played a role in Chicago dropping all the way to 19th in defensive rating, though Caruso’s extended absence and the other injury woes have also been key in this slide.

So, times are tough right now for a Bulls team that was one of the best stories of the season for most of the first half. Chicago still holds a slim advantage at the top of the Eastern Conference and is on pace for 54 wins, but now there’s only 2.5 games separating them and the sixth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. Given the next few games, the Bulls could easily slip well down the standings.

Continued struggles would only make the conversation surrounding the upcoming trade deadline that much more interesting. If the Bulls are fading, it’s hard to see them giving up Patrick Williams in a big all-in move. The same could be said for Coby White.

The good news is Chicago still has plenty of time to get healthy and turn things around. The schedule eases up a bit after the Bucks game in Milwaukee on Friday, and the hope is the Bulls will be healthier by then. Even if they do suffer through a six-game losing streak and fall to 27-17, they could easily finish the month on a strong note and go on another long winning streak.

We’ve seen just how good this Bulls team can be on both sides of the court when they have their key guys. Even if they’re not the favorite in the East, their ceiling is still high and gives them a fighting chance against anybody. Kevin Durant’s sprained MCL adds another wrinkle to this whole equation, though he’s expected back at some point later this season.

Chicago can’t let this rough stretch define them. The fight the shorthanded Bulls showed against the Celtics (rookie Ayo Dosunmu was historic) was at least a step in the right direction after the embarrassing efforts against the Nets and Warriors. Even if the next few games don’t go their way, Chicago can still bounce back in a big way.

The second half of this 2021-22 season will be a fascinating one for Billy Donovan’s Chicago Bulls.