Following Chicago’s second consecutive loss while surrendering over 140 points, 24-year-old guard Coby White had a clear message to the fanbase. As the first and only team thus far to lose back-to-back games while giving up those numbers, White put it best when he described their effort as both “unacceptable and embarrassing.” Bears fans have lately felt a similar feeling of disrespect from another underperforming franchise up the road, with an emphasis on the lack of attention to detail and grit. After two of the worst losses in recent memory, here’s how White and the rest of the Chicago Bulls responded in their latest outing.
“Disservice To The Fanbase”
Accountability has been a sore subject for Chicago fans over the past several years, whether it be the Bears and their lack of responsibility for repeated horrendous losses, the White Sox and the historically lackluster season they produced over the summer, or the Bulls’ lack of ownership in the blame game for the failure to reach potential for several seasons now. White’s frank statement eases the pain of a rough start to the year because, unlike years past, mistakes are admitted early and often with this young core.
Although Cleveland is the lone remaining undefeated team in the league and the highest scoring so far, allowing their season-best 144 points on nearly 55% from the field is utterly disappointing. After heading back to the United Center with a day’s rest, they followed it up by allowing another 143 to a Houston Rockets team outside of the top-ten leaguewide in scoring. This performance was visibly more unruly and ugly, nearly outrebounded by 20 and losing the field goal percentage battle by 19.8%.
Bouncing Back Versus Detroit
Hearing Billy Donovan and Coby White’s honest reactions is one thing, but seeing the translation on the court is another. Visiting a Pistons team that had won three of their previous four outings, including three of their last four at home, Chicago showed a level of competition throughout the entire game that supported what Donovan and White were vowing to correct. Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and White rose to the occasion, combining for 18 of Chicago’s 23 three-point makes. The story of the year for the Bulls has been that if LaVine and White shot the ball well from deep, the Bulls’ chances of winning skyrocketed. Without the consistent scoring attack of DeMar DeRozan that they’ve had for the previous three seasons, this year’s team is much more dependent on three-point shooting, and the transition battle almost always leads to the eventual victor in each matchup. Nonetheless, tonight’s showing was important for a young group that had been trending downward.
Through 15 games, the Bulls are in a nearly identical situation as the last three campaigns. Sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference at 6-9, they’d be slated for a Play-In Tournament berth for a third straight year. Is this the year Chicago can boost themselves into the playoffs, or do they become sellers at the deadline to retain their top-ten protected pick? LaVine and Vucevic have been playing well so far. Their price tags have increased since the summer months. Still, LaVine’s contract and Vucevic’s age should curb any expectations for a blockbuster deal.
