The headache losses pile up. The listless performances remain enigmatic.
The Bulls tried to address two goals when they made their brave acquisitions by the last deadline of the previous month. Improve the season’s play – off position. And make a statement to the rest of the league and the upcoming free agents about the commitment to winning and relevance.
But after the Bulls’ dismal performance Wednesday night in Cleveland, a 121-105 dud in which they trailed by as many as 33 points and committed 20 turnovers, they dropped to 12de in the playoff picture of the Eastern Conference.
Do you remember the conversation about chasing a sixth seed to avoid the in-tournament? That’s seven games away with 14 to play.
‘I“It does make you a little worried when you come out flat and you do not want to enforce your games that you need at this time of the season,” said veteran Thad Young.
The trading period of the management cannot be fully assessed until the next season is made out of season. But what kind of selling point will it be for management to pursue free agents if the Bulls are not even eligible for the play-off tournament?
Granted, the Bulls sit just half a game behind the Raptors, one game behind the Wizards and possess the equalizer over both teams. All that is needed is one small hot stripe to correct their playoff image.
But is there confidence that will happen after performances like Wednesday?
‘We just did not have the energy and physicality to win an NBA game. I think we relaxed a bit in the game and they took it to us, ‘Nikola Vucevic said. ‘We just could never respond and got a little frustrated about the referee; it affected us a little.
“We just did not bring the necessary focus and energy to play an NBA game. Especially since we played these guys a few games ago, we knew how to play it. We knew what their strengths were, but we did not do well.”
Maybe the management has a sign-and-trade plan to land Lonzo Ball. Because, remember: the Bulls sent two light protected first rounds to the Magic Vucevic, whose career ended the best series of double-digit games at 106 with his nine-point, one technical foul night.
So, choosing the second round is the only way to improve this team this season through free agencies or trading. Especially since only two of the deadline gains that are in the rotation —Vučević and Troy Brown Jr., who missed the loss with a sprained ankle — are under contract next season. The re-signing of Daniel Theis will limit salaries.
The busy deadline is definitely not just about this season. But part of the plan was to improve in the short term so that it could also improve in the long term.
Instead, the Bulls have dropped to 5-10 since the deadline and 2-2 since leading scorer Zach LaVine lost to the league’s health and safety records.
In the wake of the loss of LaVine for an absence of at least ten days, the Bulls talked about the need to play with a sense of desperation. But that was the Bulls’ sleepwalk after a 22-point deficit in the first quarter. And it was Bulls guard Collin Sexton who beat them early in the second time with two straight attacking setbacks and one setback.
The Cavaliers, not the Bulls, played like a desperate team with 20 points and put a playoff spot behind.
‘We talk about it all the time “I think guys understand what’s at stake here,” said Young. ‘But sometimes we run into games with cruise control. And we do not have the type of team where we can go out there and like, ‘Oh, let me see how they play me today.’ We have to go to games and say, ‘Oh, I’m about to go to this guy.’ Be aggressive and understand that every possession counts. And every game counts from this point. ”
Thursday night against the Hornets it would be good to prove they understand that.
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