The Chicago Bulls are coming off an impressive road win against league-leading Golden State on Tuesday. They were just the second team to win at Oracle Arena this season and ended the Warriors 19-game home winning streak.
As impressive as that win was, the Bulls were blown out at home to the Miami Heat the game before. Looking back at that two-game stretch, it’s a bit bizarre to see what’s transpired. This is a team that won 48 games without Derrick Rose last season but is only 5-5 in their last 10 and are on pace for just 52 wins this year.
They were supposed to be an indomitable Championship contender but so far, have been a middling Eastern Conference team. So why haven’t the Bulls been even better this season?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pSF26YYLt8
This Team Cannot Win At Home (Often Enough)
This is a team that’s 17-6 on the road, which is fantastic and indicative of a group that can perform in tough situations. Those 17 wins are tied for the most away wins in the NBA. However, playoffs are about protecting a home-court advantage when you get it and the Bulls – who lost twice at home to the Washington Wizards in the first round of last year’s playoffs – are just 13-11 at home this season. That just won’t cut it and it’s the biggest reason this season has fallen short of expectations in the Windy City.
Think about this: if Chicago was a solid but not spectacular 17-7 at home, it would be 34-13, in second place in the East by 2.5 games over the Washington Wizards. The Bulls would be in position to get home court for two playoff series, easing them through the earlier stages while also putting them on the opposite side of the bracket from the Cavs and Hawks, two teams likely to play in the second round if the Bulls were to hypothetically finish second. If Cleveland defeated Atlanta, the Bulls would be in line to have home court for the East finals and if not, Chicago would certainly be able to go into Atlanta and win a game or two.
Yes, we’re playing in the realm of hypotheticals a little bit but the truth is that home-court advantage is critical in the playoffs and with the Bulls blowing easy home games – like last Sunday’s layup at home to the Heat – they are hurting themselves in the long run.
Derrick Rose Is Inconsistent
It is true that Rose’s point totals the past week and a half have been the same, but when you shoot eight-for-22 (versus Atlanta over a week ago) or nine-for-16 (versus San Antonio last Thursday), it matters. Rose is scoring the same, but some night’s he’s really efficient and other nights he’s not. Last night in Golden State, despite hitting the game-winning shot, he was just 13-of-33 and became the first player in NBA history to have 10 or more turnovers and one or fewer assists.
It seems like Rose still has a bad game once every four or five games and that’s holding the team back. Earlier in the season, he was hesitant to push himself too far, a wise move which has kept him healthier. However, he has played at least 33 minutes in four of his last six games, which might be overextending him. Chicago needs Rose to play under 30 minutes and be more effective. Right now, he’s fairly inconsistent.
Joakim Noah’s Health
The injury bug for Noah is not going away. His knees and ankles have taken a pounding the past few seasons and recent flare-ups or aggravations of those injuries have kept him out of the lineup in three of the Bulls’ past six games. Noah played under 25 minutes in two of his last three games, and did very little on Sunday in a 12-point home loss to the Miami Heat. However, he did bounce back with a solid 40-minute effort versus Golden State.
Noah has to be in good health for the Bulls to make a run. This team should consider resting him going into the All-Star break so he’ll be fresh on the other side.
