Chicago Bulls push pace and score fast, but defensive lapses persist. Is the improvement real, or is offense masking breakdowns on defense? Find out now.
The Chicago Bulls’ biggest strength has officially turned into their biggest liability.
If there’s one scouting report that sums up the Bulls right now, it’s this: the defense has gone from lockdown unit to blown coverage. And not in a “bend-but-don’t-break” way — more like missed assignments and wide-open lanes to the rim.
What was once Chicago’s calling card has straight-up stalled over the last stretch of games, even with the roster finally getting healthy. That’s the red flag. When reinforcements are back and the defense is still leaking yards — sorry, points — that’s not bad luck. That’s a scheme and execution issue.
The Bulls’ 2024–25 season was the definition of mixed tape. The offense put up points in bunches, but the defense flashed just enough inconsistency to keep them from stacking wins. As they head into 2025–26, last season’s numbers feel less like noise and more like a warning label.
On paper, the Bulls should’ve been a defensive nightmare for opponents. Their perimeter coverage was elite, allowing the third-lowest three-point percentage in the league (34.4%). Closeouts were crisp, rotations were clean, and shooters rarely got comfortable. On the glass, they played bully ball — ranking first in defensive rebounds per game (35.7) and second in defensive rebounds allowed. That’s winning-in-the-trenches stuff.
And yet? Somehow, they still surrendered the third-most points per game in the league.
That’s the disconnect. Chicago could erase the deep ball and own the boards, but once teams got into the half-court or attacked the paint, the Bulls’ defense folded like a busted zone. Too many straight-line drives. Too many easy buckets at the rim. Too many long drives ending in touchdowns instead of field goals.
Bottom line: the Bulls aren’t getting beat over the top — they’re getting gashed between the tackles. And until that changes, their once-elite defense is going to keep showing up on the wrong side of the box score.
The defensive issues in Billy Donovan’s Bulls locker room aren’t exactly breaking news. This has been on the scouting report for a while. But after the latest loss, Donovan didn’t sugarcoat it — he went straight to the film room.
“Our team, outside of maybe Isaac Okoro, we don’t have one guy on the team right now that you would sit there and say, ‘This guy’s a defensive stopper. This is what this guy hangs his hat on,’” Donovan said, via The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi. “It’s not one guy’s fault; it’s all of us. It’s the coaches, the players. … It’s a team issue.”
That honesty tracks, because the numbers don’t lie. Chicago’s defense has been getting cooked for a while now. Last season, the Bulls ranked 29th in points allowed per game (119.4). Fast forward to this year, and through 17 games, they’re giving up 124.2 points per night — the fourth-most in the NBA. That’s not a bend-but-don’t-break unit. That’s a defense getting marched down the field.
The fix needs to come quickly. At some point, you either tighten up or you keep getting exposed. There are adjustments Chicago can make, but the clock is ticking.
Part of the problem is the league itself. The NBA right now is pure no-huddle offense. Teams want to run, gun, and light up the scoreboard — and fans love it. But if you can’t get back in transition or set the defense, you’re basically spotting the opponent free points. That’s been Chicago’s reality.
The Bulls rank second in pace, which tells you everything. They’re pushing tempo, firing early, and trying to win shootouts. That can work — until it doesn’t. When shots aren’t falling, the defense has to hold the line, and right now, Chicago doesn’t have the personnel or identity to do that.
So the big question is this: is the Bulls’ defense actually improving — or is the offense just masking the leaks? Because if it’s the latter, this unit isn’t fixing the problem. It’s just playing keep-away until the dam finally breaks.