The Chicago Bulls are facing a very important crossroads. As they careen through the beginning of the 2025-26 NBA season and a record of 9-10. Their most recent loss was at the hands of a shorthanded Indiana Pacers team, further highlighting their continued freefall. The anguish became acute when Pascal Siakam drained a 16-footer with one-tenth of a second remaining on the clock. The Bulls opened the season with a scorching 6-1 record, but they’re entering one of the roughest stretches of their schedule right now, having just lost three straight to teams probably vying for lotto positioning.
The Bulls’ front office has repeatedly stressed the need to form a long-term core with potentially great young players at the foundation. Most recently, they sent defensive stalwart Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in return for then-21-year-old guard Josh Giddey. This move is designed to change the team’s culture and identity. It centers on helping the development of younger assets like Coby White and rookie Noa Essengue. Team sources are especially high on Giddey and White, and on the organization’s newest rising star, Matas Buzelis, as the core of the franchise’s future. Collectively, they signal another hopeful step toward future victories.
Giddey has been hard at work during the offseason, dedicating himself to six-day-a-week training sessions at a gym in Melbourne, Australia. Well, his efforts are paying off! He repaid the Bulls for their trust in him during the 2024-25 stretch run, and he’s still rising as he learns the ropes of his new starting role with Chicago this year.
Aside from being fun, the Bulls leading the league in pace and fourth in assist percentage to start this season is interesting. We can do whatever we want but these numbers, these stats, have got to equate to more success, more wins,” emphasized head coach Billy Donovan. He remarked, “We have to be better than the sum of our parts. Everybody sees Indiana play, and the thing that everybody goes to right away is oh, their pace, their pace, their pace.” Donovan was clear that while playing fast is key, he called for progression at a new level of physicality on that end of the floor.
Nikola Vučević, now in his 15th NBA season and sixth with the Bulls, was a bit more blunt as he ruminated on the team’s brutal stretch of play. After a win against Washington on November 22, he expressed concerns about consistency: “We just didn’t play up to NBA standards.” Vučević reiterated what his team has shown it can do during stretches. He placed a premium on keeping discipline and order to create long-term success. “It’s just not going to always work in your favor,” he stated. There are times when you’re just going to play better and play down the wire games. If you continue to play like this, you’ll be looking at one ugly loss after another. If you’re not careful and proactive, this is what will happen.
Through the moans and groans, Vučević is still upbeat and positive about the direction of his new team. He predicted an improved picture after 15 or 20 games into the season. “Let’s see where we are at about 20 games,” he said, emphasizing the importance of patience during this transformative phase.
In fact, Coby White is now the longest-tenured player on the roster. His invaluable experience will prove vital as the Bulls go through a myriad of different lineups and potential strategies. As this new program rolls out, White’s leadership will be key. The squad is looking to get back on track after a strong beginning has hurtled off the rails.
Outside of the obvious recent woes that have sunk the Bulls, consistency as a franchise has been a huge issue. They recently lost five straight and have not been over .500 at the beginning of December since 2021. The current roster’s blend of youth and experience presents both opportunities and hurdles as they seek to establish a stable identity moving forward.
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