2026/27 Bulls Regular Season Thread

[Derwood]

Contract the team

[NorthsideAvenger]

1 hour ago, Derwood said:

Contract the team

I'm not even mad any more. I'll follow the box score but I won't get invested in this team again until they prove they are worth following. 

Same with the team they are competing with as to who can be the most pathetic franchise in Chicago, the Blackhawks. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

Have you guys seen the roster?

[Tryptamine]

-18 point differential is unimaginably terrible. The 2nd worst differential in the league is -14.  The only team they managed to squeak past is a 1-7 Milwaukee team and they had to pull a massive comeback to make that happen. For the record, last year the worst point differential in the NBA was Washington at -12. They went 17-65. In the last 10 seasons no team has had a worse differential than -12.4. This team is Caleb and absolutely nothing else right now.

[bukie]

Preferable to finishing 10th every year.

Wilson is just the first piece. Don't think Buzelis is a long term piece, and Giddey needs to get it going. This was always going to be a terrible team year 1.

[macarthur31]

Jumping in as I didn't realize that we did other sports here.

 

• So far, Caleb is passing the audition in terms of "Cornerstone guy?"  Yes, there will be mistakes and learning, but its undeniable to see his 2 way ability.  Just hope he doesn't go insane from the ineptness around him.
• Giddey is showing that his passing playmaking is a useful, but still remains to be seen if he can be consistent enough with the 3 to be a useful player going forward.  (To his credit, he's covering tough guards on defense, but his ceiling is "adequate" on that end of the court.)
• Norm Powell and Jalen Smith (and to some extent Buddy Hield) are being good veterans and auditioning to be traded to good teams at the deadline.  This was always the plan and so far, Norm and Jalen are good in the shop window.
• Tre Jones, like Jalen Smith, is showing to be a very very good backup, and his affordable expiring makes him also quite attractive.
• Matas is currently flailing.  For all the talk of how "Billy held him back," he sure looks worse this year - and that's mainly to Caleb's arrival and jumping him in terms of priority.  Matas is getting the defensive liability, yet he can't get buckets.  BG picked up his option, but unless Matas can turn it around, every day his value gets lower and lower.
• Essengue has done a nice job of showing some flourishes given his youth/toolsiness, and credit to his high motor.  Again, he'll make mistakes, but going maximum effort will earn him forgiveness.  And, he seems to fit BG's SLAP filter more than Matas does.

 

Finally, this schedule did them no favors, and I was expecting 1-9/2-8 anyway.  Hoping to see some semblance of defensive order once Nic Claxton gets back, and perhaps it won't be as rough to watch.

 

[Andy]

The Bulls finally going from meh-to-bad to straight-up terrible the very year lottery reforms took effect to keep them from having primo draft odds is extremely on brand

[Tryptamine]

14 minutes ago, Andy said:

The Bulls finally going from meh-to-bad to straight-up terrible the very year lottery reforms took effect to keep them from having primo draft odds is extremely on brand

Also add in that the 2027 draft looks quite bad, especially compared to the 2026.

[17 Seconds]

1 hour ago, Andy said:

The Bulls finally going from meh-to-bad to straight-up terrible the very year lottery reforms took effect to keep them from having primo draft odds is extremely on brand

I still don't think they're bottom 3. they look hideous now but they've been playing great teams every night. the blowouts do need to stop

[bukie]

1 hour ago, 17 Seconds said:

I still don't think they're bottom 3. they look hideous now but they've been playing great teams every night. the blowouts do need to stop

I think they're probably better than the Nets, Kings and Bucks. Don't think they're a 20 win team this year even, though.

[Rex Buckingham]

hot take: I wouldn't hate them being bottom 3 this year, because you can't have a top 5 pick in 3 straight years, so it might be better if they pick like 7th this year in a weaker draft and then maybe get a little better and draft top 5 in 2028

[Wilson A2000]

37 minutes ago, Rex Buckingham said:

hot take: I wouldn't hate them being bottom 3 this year, because you can't have a top 5 pick in 3 straight years, so it might be better if they pick like 7th this year in a weaker draft and then maybe get a little better and draft top 5 in 2028

#smarttanking

[Tryptamine]

Well they're hanging with Philadelphia which is nice, but god damn they're bad

3PT%- Last

FG%- 2nd to last

APG- 25th

FTs are the only thing carrying this offense.