How the iconic franchise of the 1990s is currently the worst franchise in the league
The Bulls may not be the NBAs worst team based on wins and losses, but I’d argue the franchise is currently the worst in the NBA. In the 1990s fuelled by Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, and many other high-level role players, combined with the coaching schemes of Phil Jackson, the Bulls vaulted themselves to international recognition. They cemented themselves as the most influential team of the 90s, and arguably the greatest dynasty this league has ever seen. Flash forward to today, and the Bulls are one of the most hopeless franchises in the league. Like most Chicago sports fans, Bulls fans have been forced to watch their prized franchise go nowhere under the poor ownership, and leadership running the front office.
In the last 10 years the Bulls are tied for 10th most losses in the league with 430. The teams above them, the Pistons, the Magic, the Knicks, the Hornets, the Kings, the Lakers, the Nets, the Timberwolves, the Wizards, and they are tied with the Suns. Like the Bulls, the Pistons also are an iconic franchise that has let down in recent years, but unlike them the Pistons front office has accepted the fact that they are not contending. The Pistons have blatantly and subtly tanked over the years, amassing young talent from other teams that have underperformed, and taking on bad contracts in exchange for also receiving draft picks. As a result the Pistons have barely won any games this year, but have promising talents like Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser, Quentin Grimes and maybe even Malachi Flynn?
The Magic have had a similar strategy that has culminated in a successful rebuild, and a playoff team led by stars Franz Wagner, and Paolo Banchero, with a plethora of role players, and young developing talent with them. The Suns spent years developing players like Devin Booker, Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges, and Deandre Ayton before they were able to contend. The Nets went through a rebuild, then destroyed that rebuild for KD, Kyrie, and Harden, but after offloading those players they still have a good young core. The Knicks invested in young talent and now find themselves positioned to make a deep playoff run. The Lakers amassed young talent and picked the right time to trade them and build a championship roster. The Kings and the Timberwolves have turned it around mostly by investing in their youth and letting them develop for years. The only teams still struggling on this list are the Wizards and the Hornets, but both those teams have young talent that are growing and developing every game.
The only team there with no real hope either for the present or the future is the Bulls. The Bulls have invested in the wrong talents, building an unbalanced aging roster. The only thing that these guys seem to want to do less than play defense, is play together. Despite having expiring contracts like Demar Derozan on the team, the last time the Bulls made a trade was 2021. This front office’s inability to trade players when necessary is a huge part of the situation they are in. Zach Lavine should have been traded almost two years ago, Derozan as mentioned is now going to walk for nothing, Alex Caruso is wasting away when they could have traded him for multiple first rounders, not to mention Andre Drummond riding the bench when multiple contenders offered picks for him.
Someone wake the front office up and tell them they’re not going to win a championship with this roster. The trio of Lavine, Derozan, and Vucevic does not work in the NBA. Neither one of the three is anything near to a plus defender, there is not enough spacing for Derozan’s midrange dependent game to thrive, Lavine does not seem happy in Chicago and his play has fallen of a cliff as a result, and Vucevic is showing serious signs of regression. Lonzo Ball was the glue that managed to make this roster somewhat work, and unfortunately in his absence it has become all too obvious of the Bulls shortcomings.
For a team that hasn’t won a playoff series since 2015, they have little successful draft picks to show for it. Jimmy Butler was the last decent wing player Chicago developed, and even he is technically a shooting guard. Players like Daniel Gafford, Denzel Valentine, Bobby Portis, Wendell Carter, Dalen Terry, and even Patrick Williams have all been failed by the Bulls staff. They are unable to develop wing talent well at all. Gafford, Portis, and Carter all left Chicago and looked miles better working with other teams’ staffs. Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu are perhaps the only successful young players currently on the Bulls roster, and there’s a legitimate argument to be made that neither move the needle enough to be kept in a rebuild. Caruso, Ball, White, Dosunmu, and Jevon Carter make for a logjam of guards.
Frankly, the Jevon Carter contract makes no sense, and it more seems like the front office’s solution to Chicago’s core being unable to play defense is to panic and overpay random guard defenders in an effort to remedy the situation. Unfortunately in today’s NBA if you don’t have a capable wing defender, or rim protector your roster is getting nowhere as evidenced by the Bulls being 20th in defensive rating this season. The Bulls offense isn’t much better coming in at 19th. This team is set up to be a perpetual play-in team with a high salary cap, which is the worst position to be in.
There is no way up for the Bulls from here with the current roster, so it is better the front office controls the down and makes it happen sooner rather than later. Tank a few years, accumulate some young talent and picks, and try again in 5 years Chicago. Otherwise, in 5 years this team may have to start a rebuild than after everyone walks, potentially with no picks after the front office continues to waste them acquiring talent that does nothing.
Good luck Bulls fans you’re going to need it.
Photo Credits: Belly Up Sports
