As the season crosses its halfway mark, the Chicago Bulls (20-22) find themselves mired in ninth place in the Eastern Conference — a near-.500 records that cement them firmly in the Play-In Tournament bubble. Despite flashes of firepower like their recent victory over the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, the inevitable truth lurking behind that the repetitive, mediocre circuit remains unchanged, spinning around endlessly.

If NBA teams had to take a midterm exam, what grade would the Bulls receive? Let's break it down into some major categories.

The numbers paint a grim picture. Chicago's offensive rating of 113.5 ranks tied for 20th, while its defensive rating of 117.2 is 25th, and its -3.6 net rating places it 24th overall. The below-average performance on both ends of the court isn't what a playoff contender needs; it's a sign that another season might end in Play-In elimination by the Miami Heat, probably, who are just above them at eighth. 

The Bulls have the league's second-best bench scoring at 44.2 points per game, indicating real depth and potential. However, this highlights a worrying trend: the bench shouldn't be expected to carry the offense consistently. Chicago needs more reliable production from the starters and much better three-point shooting to keep up the momentum when it counts. 

Defensively, the issues are obvious. Interior defense is severely lacking. Relying only on Nikola Vucevic to protect the paint has been predictably detrimental. Thankfully, Billy Donovan finally made a change, trying a double-big lineup with Jalen Smith in the starting five. Still, opponents shoot 47.4% against Chicago, ranking 20th in the league. That's not a defense at the elite level — only if Chicago wants to pursue.

Here's something positive: the Bulls rank third in assists per game at 29.4, demonstrating their willingness to share the basketball and create quality shot opportunities — exactly what Donovan preaches. However, this statistic cuts both ways. Too often, possessions devolve into forced shots after unnecessary ball movement, while many of them can easily wrap up with a decisive drive to the rim or drawing fouls. The passes become counterproductive rather than purposeful. 

The Bulls have slightly taken brake from being last season's fastest team, now ranking fourth in pace at 102.6, but this appears beneficial for ball security. The Bulls currently rank fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio, showing improved awareness between facilitating offense and protecting possessions. After struggling with turnover chaos early in the season, they've tightened up considerably — their 13.8% turnover rate (7th lowest) presents a meaningful improvement over last season's 14.1% (15th).

A 14-11 clutch record suggests the Bulls win tight games more often than not. But the problem is that they've played 25 clutch games in just half a season. Too many nights feature frustrating collapses or narrow escapes after squandering comfortable leads. Winning close games is valuable; needing to win so many close games signals deeper issues. The Bulls need to navigate ways to avoid late-game breakdowns and manage more convincing victories.

Despite scattered highlights, these bright spots are merely smoke dissipating into thin air — much like how Chicago's promising season start ultimately proved to be a fluke. With four consecutive seasons holding a similar record, it’s hard to see something promising ahead.