Anfernee Simons Is Learning on the Fly - and Refusing to Tank with the New-Look Bulls
In the aftermath of another frustrating loss - this time a 123-115 defeat to the Nets, the Bulls' fifth straight - Anfernee Simons sat with his thoughts, replaying the miscues in his mind. A busted backdoor cut by Matas Buzelis here, a misread pass to Nick Richards there. These aren’t just errors - they’re the growing pains of a team thrown together midseason and asked to figure it out on the fly.
“When they blitzing like that,” Simons said, recalling a turnover under pressure, “I want [Richards] to be in the window. Not straight down where I can’t see him.” It’s the kind of nuance that only comes with reps - something this Bulls team simply hasn’t had.
Since arriving in Chicago, Simons has been thrust into a starting role with a roster that’s barely had time to learn each other’s names, let alone build chemistry. Seven new players were added at the trade deadline.
Six of them are logging significant minutes. Practice time?
Minimal. Continuity?
Nonexistent. And yet, Simons isn’t making excuses.
“Yeah, nah, this not a normal situation,” he admitted. “It’s just gonna take tons of communication.
Experience. Just going through it together with mistakes and everything.”
This is the reality for a Bulls team that’s been gutted and reassembled on the fly - a team that’s clearly in the early stages of a rebuild, but still trying to play competitive basketball. President of Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas pulled the trigger on a full roster overhaul, and the early returns have been predictably rocky. At 24-30 and 0-3 since the deadline, the Bulls are still searching for their identity.
And while the front office may be thinking long-term, Simons is locked in on the present. With only 30 games left, he’s treating this stretch like an audition - not just for his future in Chicago, but for his career.
A Backcourt in Flux
Simons is part of a crowded and confusing backcourt rotation that’s still sorting itself out. Josh Giddey remains sidelined with a hamstring issue.
Tre Jones is out too. That’s opened the door for Simons and Collin Sexton to take on bigger roles - both veterans on expiring deals, both trying to prove they can be part of something sustainable.
Then there’s the youth movement. Rob Dillingham and Jaden Ivey are getting extended looks, and it’s clear the Bulls want to see what they’ve got in the two former lottery picks.
Ivey, in particular, has seen his minutes nearly double since arriving from Detroit. Dillingham, meanwhile, just logged a season-high in minutes for the second straight game.
It’s a delicate balance. The Bulls are trying to evaluate talent, build cohesion, and stay competitive - all while navigating a roster that was essentially rebuilt overnight.
No Tanking Here
On a night when Utah made headlines for shamelessly pulling key players in the fourth quarter, the Bulls did the opposite. They played to win.
Simons and Sexton closed the game. Ivey got real minutes.
Dillingham stayed on the floor. There was no hint of a tank job - just a group of guys trying to make it work.
Sexton, in particular, played with his usual brand of chaos and energy. He crashed the boards, dove for loose balls, and even talked to himself after missed free throws. “Aw, man, (I’m saying) a lot of things,” he said afterward, half-laughing.
Together, Simons and Sexton combined for 44 points. Simons shot an efficient 10-of-17 from the field.
Sexton was a +13 in a third quarter the Bulls won by six. But despite their efforts, the team’s structural flaws were too much to overcome.
Frontcourt Woes and Roster Gaps
The Bulls’ frontcourt is in rough shape. Zach Collins is still out, traveling with the team in a boot.
Jalen Smith remains sidelined with a calf strain. That leaves Guerschon Yabusele - a 6-foot-7 forward more comfortable launching threes than banging in the paint - and Nick Richards, who averaged just over nine minutes per game with Phoenix before the trade.
Against Brooklyn, that thin interior rotation got exposed. Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney combined for 50 points in the paint, shooting a blistering 15-of-19. Buzelis, who’s suddenly become a cornerstone piece of the rebuild, struggled with his shot (5-of-15) and grabbed just four rebounds.
It’s not just a chemistry issue. It’s a personnel issue. The Bulls are short on size, short on continuity, and short on time.
Donovan’s Challenge
Head coach Billy Donovan has his work cut out for him. He’s juggling mismatched lineups, evaluating young talent, and trying to keep the locker room focused.
Dillingham and Ivey need developmental minutes. Simons and Sexton are trying to showcase their value - whether to the Bulls or future employers.
And somewhere in the middle, the team is hoping to stay competitive while also increasing its lottery odds.
It’s a tightrope walk, and Donovan is doing it with a roster full of players at different stages of their careers.
Simons, for his part, is doing everything he can to set the tone. He knows what people are saying - that the Bulls are tanking, that this season is already lost. But he’s not buying it.
“My last couple years in Portland, (tank) was the word,” Simons said. “So, I’m kind of used to it in that way. So, everybody’s gonna assume that, and some things gonna be out of your control.”
Still, he’s not letting that dictate his approach. “As long as we handle the situation well, handle the professionalism, go out there compete each and every night, play to win, do the right things, and I think everything else gonna take care of itself.”
The Bottom Line
This version of the Bulls isn’t built to win now. That much is clear.
But they’re also not mailing it in. Simons, Sexton, Ivey, and Dillingham are giving it everything they’ve got - even if the results aren’t there yet.
There’s no quick fix for a team with this many moving parts. But there is effort.
There is fight. And for a group that’s still learning each other’s tendencies, that’s a solid place to start.