The Chicago Bulls finished the 2025 season second in the league in pace (103.61 possessions per game) and truly allowed their young players to have freedom on offense as long as they made sure to push for a transition opportunity off of every defensive rebound. The Bulls commitment to running in transition also led them to get into their half-court offense as quickly as possible when fastbreak opportunities weren't there. Per the NBA stats site "inpredictable, the Bulls were tied for second in the league in seconds per possession following a defensive rebound (10.6), with only the Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets ahead of them. Something that both of these teams have in common with Chicago, is talented pass-first playmakers who spearheaded their up-tempo, offensive attacks. And just like the Hawks and Nuggets, if the Bulls want the best version of their star, they will need to continue to push the pace over the 2025-26 season. The question I have is: could the Bulls take their high pace of play to another level next season?
The leaders in pace in 2024-25 were the Memphis Grizzlies, who finished just slightly ahead of the Bulls with 103.69 possessions per game. Interestingly, among the top-five teams in pace last season, the Bulls were fourth in terms of offensive rating. Chicago's 20th overall ranked offensive rating (113.2) leaves a lot to be desired. It is possible that Donovan leaned into the up-tempo offense to mask a team that was a bit light on isolation scoring following the midseason trade of Zach LaVine, but either way, the change also led to an environment that allowed Matas Buzelis to improve gradually as the season wore on.
Perhaps the best way for the Bulls to push the pace even harder in 2026 would be to attack the defensive glass with even more energy than they did last season, by no means an easy goal. Chicago ranked fifth in the NBA in defensive rebound rate (72.2%) in 2025, but they were at 71.7% in 2024, so cracking that 72% in 2026 would represent a nice, gradual rise to the top of the league in that statistic. And to add to the importance of defense flowing into offense, three of the four teams ahead of the Bulls in defensive rebound rate in 2024 also finished with a more efficient offense. With Josh Giddey returning, Coby White in a contract year, and Buzelis gearing up for a big sophomore season, the Bulls have all the reason to push the pedal to the metal in 2026.
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