From 5-0 to seven straight losses. How did the Bulls' early success crumble, and where did their identity disappear?
If we take a moment to think about October, it feels like a fleeting dream.
The Chicago Bulls — tagged as the symbol of mediocrity for years — became one of the few teams enjoying a 5-0 undefeated run. The overwhelming bench scoring that validated the "strength in numbers" motto, the ascending confidence on the court, the compliments flooding social media — everything painted a bright future for this franchise to finally succeed.
But they popped the bubble. The dream eventually ended as a dream. Now sitting outside play-in eligibility with a 9-14 record after dropping seven straight, the Bulls have proven their hot start was a fluke. What happened? What went wrong? And how do they escape this freefall? The collapsed Chicago Bulls are desperately searching for answers.
Lack of Attention to Details, Loss of Identity
When Billy Donovan was asked what disconnected after Sunday's 32-point humiliation to the Golden State Warriors, he said one word: details. When pressed to elaborate, he reiterated the details every time he shared on the podium: ball handling, turnover control, winning 50-50 balls, rebounding, helping each other, etc, cliché parts of the game that every NBA coach emphasizes regularly.
The winning formula in today's NBA, where star power has been demolished, is simple: do all those things well. But the hard part? Executing them consistently. Some teams feel satisfied with well-executed play and achieved goals in the short term, epitomizing the Bulls’ early success before they ruined it.
During their 5-0 run, Chicago's offensive rating surged to fifth in the league (119.0) while staying solid at sixth defensively (110.3). Now, in their 0-7 losing stretch, their offensive rating has plummeted to dead last while their defensive rating has slumped to 25th. From a skyrocketing start to an O. Henry twist ending that revealed the Bulls' true losing narrative.
Remember the identity Donovan preached and endeavored to permeate? The team has let it slip away, roaming far from their foundation. After being the league's fastest team last season, the Bulls have decelerated significantly. Though they claimed defensive aspirations, they generate only 15.1 deflections per game (27th) and 4.7 loose-ball recoveries (21st).
Imagine how cruel and disappointing it is to sit there witnessing a three-point bloodbath. Chicago's inability to respond to opponents' firepower has been glaring. That's what the team experienced against Golden State, shooting just 27.5% from deep (11/40) while the Warriors splashed 22 triples. As offensive rebounding has become a league-wide trend, the Bulls have faded on the glass with only 10.5 offensive boards per game (22nd).
Before the Warriors game, Donovan acknowledged that different game plans and injury situations might disrupt chemistry and execution, but he still believed errors were manageable.
"Some of the guys have been thrust into situations where their minutes have changed, responsibilities have changed. We've got to be able to stay true and hold true to that,” Donovan said. “Yes, (We) have all these injuries, but what about the things we can control about how we're supposed to play?"
But the Bulls still couldn't find the answer. The crushing defeat to Golden State made it easy to conclude that Chicago is one of the NBA's worst teams — thrashed by three-point barrages and rebounding deficiencies.
"We talked about it at the beginning of the year — eight guys in double figures, 30-plus assists. That's how we've got to play," Donovan said after the Warriors game. "There are still things I think are controllable-wise that we can do, in my opinion."
To Love Each Other or Fix the Problem
Is this a dangerous sign of diminishing camaraderie? I hope not. It's still the first quarter of the season, and giving up before the midpoint makes no sense. Donovan said players need to "love each other" to buy into the system. But as the losing streak continues, cracks are appearing in team relationships, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
"I don't get into all that. We got a job to do. It's simple. Just go out there and do your job," Jevon Carter said on Monday when asked about needing to love each other. Instead, he pointed to details the Bulls have lacked — what he called "small margins of error." He gave an example: players struggling to make cuts at the right time, which fails to create shots and possibly results in turnovers.
Veterans’ leadership is crucial, but it’s ineffective if everyone isn’t aligned. Last month, Nikola Vucevic provided honest criticism of the Bulls’ physicality after a narrow win against the league-low Washington Wizards. Meanwhile, others, with childish faces, tried to hype him up during the postgame interview with CHSN’s K.C. Johnson, which frustrated the 35-year-old center at the moment.
That was the Bulls’ last victory. Now, as they endure their longest losing streak under Donovan, that scene highlights the underlying irony.
What specific details should they care about? A lot. It might require too much to flip the script and find rhythm in one night. But as Carter said, "small margins of error" means something should be manageable. Since the preseason, countless turnovers, significantly contributing to poor starts, have plagued Chicago. During the last 10 games, the Bulls averaged 15.6 turnovers (25th). This season, they've posted a 12.9% assist-to-turnover ratio (15th), per TeamRankings.
Winning is everything, period. Before talking about love, the team should focus on returning to details and fixing controllable errors. It’s safe to say people have a solid bond off the court, but it doesn't demonstrate sufficiently on the floor when details are missing that undermine offense and defense.
"We all love each other," Josh Giddey told The Athletic's Joel Lorenzi after the Warriors' defeat. "We don't have anybody who butts heads. On the floor, we're not showing that enough."
Where Are We?
So the questions just dropped for the Bulls: where are we now? It sounds like a probation warning before midterms, but they're on the brink of danger with everything disjointed. Problems surfaced early and solutions remain elusive. The answer might be near; it just depends on whether they can realize it and pick it up.
The tanking conversation, which sounds like implementing the death penalty for the season's remainder, is hurtful. But it might be a practical approach for the Bulls to flip the script. The 2026 NBA Draft features intriguing prospects like AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer — whose father, Carlos, played for Chicago from 2010 to 2014. Securing a top pick could reshape the franchise's trajectory. But people wonder if Arturas Karnisovas believes in committing to a full rebuild or if he'll continue clinging to mediocrity.
Recent draft history doesn't inspire confidence. The Bulls haven't selected in the top 10 since taking Patrick Williams fourth overall in 2020. Williams signed a four-year, $90 million extension last summer despite inconsistent production. In 2023, Chicago selected Julian Phillips 35th overall. This year, they picked Noa Essengue 12th overall, but he sat out for the season with a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, Derrick Queen (13th pick) just posted a 30-point triple-double for New Orleans, becoming a Rookie of the Year frontrunner, and the whole Bulls Nation was pissed as Chicago passed on another talent.
What about trades? Given the Bulls' financial stability and vast flexibility, with seven players’ contracts set to expire next year, searching for suitors for players and making equivalent (or better) trade returns to revamp the roster before the midseason trade deadline and next summer should be considered a feasible approach.
But don't expect blockbusters. Before discussing whether Giannis Antetokounmpo or Anthony Davis could fit the roster, it's critical to ask: Is Chicago an ideal landing spot for big names? And is the front office truly thrilled about blockbuster trades? The answer is no. Karnisovas has shown conservative tendencies, prioritizing financial flexibility over aggressive roster overhauls. Trading future first-round picks for aging stars like Davis, who's 32, injury-prone and declining, might mortgage the future for minimal playoff potential.
So what’s now? The team is frustrated, for sure. Matas Buzelis said last week that they "try to figure it out every day," discussing whether they can sacrifice as a group or individually. But he preserves a sliver of optimism.
"It's a new day, especially for me," Buzelis said about processing emotions from the great start to the freefall. "My father always tells me, the sun comes up tomorrow. It doesn't matter what happened yesterday. So we're going to figure it out as a group. And I believe in us."
That belief feels fragile right now. The Bulls are spiraling, searching and seemingly further from when they started dramatically. The identity is fading away. The chemistry is cracking. The details are missing. And the front office appears content watching it all burn.
Where are we? Rock bottom. And there's no clear ladder out.
Read More Chicago Bulls Coverage
MORE: Former Bulls Star Jimmy Butler Confident Chicago Will "Figure it Out"
MORE: Coby White Will Bounce Back Soon
MORE: Bulls Far From Their Identity in Warriors' 32-Point Humiliation