The Chicago Bulls have stumbled into one of the ugliest starts the NBA has seen in years, and the numbers are already flashing red.
Through eight games, Chicago has been outscored by 144 points, a mark that puts this team in some grim company. The only clubs to be worse at that stage were the 1997-98 Golden State Warriors at minus-149 and the 1988-89 Miami Heat at minus-147.
That’s the kind of start that turns a bad week into a historical footnote.
The Bulls were supposed to be young, athletic and at least entertaining, even if the wins didn’t come quickly. Instead, the early returns have been brutal.
The Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis pairing hasn’t sparked much of anything. Josh Giddey has had trouble getting synced up with his new teammates.
Norman Powell and Buddy Hield haven’t provided the kind of veteran stability Chicago needed. The defense has been leaky, the offense has been inefficient, and the effort level has come and gone.
The schedule has not helped. Chicago has been dealing with one of the toughest opening stretches in the league, and that matters for a team this inexperienced. Things are expected to lighten up in mid-to-late November, and the Bulls are hoping this rough patch at least turns into a crash course in growth.
But the issues go beyond the opponent list. The concerns that followed this team into the season have shown up immediately.
The shooting and ball-handling problems have made the offense look disjointed, while the lack of perimeter resistance has opened the door for easy drives into the paint. Will Claxton’s rim protection help shore up that end?
Maybe. Still, it’s difficult to see Chicago fixing everything without making some roster changes.
And then there’s the mental side of it. A start this bad can wear on a team, especially one already trying to find itself. Tiago Splitter has a difficult job ahead keeping this group locked in and competing through the early storm.
The Bulls get their next shot to steady things on Sunday afternoon against the Philadelphia 76ers.
In Other News...
Bulls Linked To A Defensive Guard With One Huge Top Pick Concern
The early buzz around the 2027 draft has already started to circle back to Chicago, and one name tied to the Bulls is Arkansas freshman guard Smith. Jonathan Wassermans latest mock has the 6-foot-2 prospect landing with the Bulls near the top of the board, which is enough to get attention given the franchises need to keep adding young talent with two-way upside. Smith arrived with a reputation built on strong high school production, and his first taste of college ball hinted at why evaluators are intrigued.
What makes him such a compelling fit is also what keeps the conversation from getting too far ahead of itself. Smith showed defensive strength and enough scoring pop to look like a real lottery-level prospect, but the next step is proving his decision-making and shooting can hold up against NBA pressure. For a Bulls team watching the draft landscape this far out, the appeal is obvious, even if the biggest question around him is still very much unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Already Face A Tough Call With Dailyn Swain And The Frontcourt
The Bulls are taking a measured approach with Dailyn Swain as the season opens, with head coach Tiago Splitter saying the No. 15 overall pick will be assigned to the G League. It is the kind of early developmental decision that can be easy to overlook in October, but for Chicago it speaks to how carefully the team wants to handle a young player who has had limited NBA minutes and is still working through the adjustment period.
Chicagos frontcourt picture adds another layer to the decision. Jalen Smith is dealing with a wrist injury, though there is optimism he could be back soon, and the Bulls are also waiting on Nic Claxton to return and help stabilize the defense. For a team trying to balance immediate rotation needs with long-term growth, the timing of Swains assignment only sharpens the questions up front. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Rookie Caleb Wilson Just Got A Tough Message From Tiago Splitter
Caleb Wilsons latest night offered a blunt reminder that the NBA can turn quickly on a rookie, especially when the game starts slipping away. The Bulls first-year player struggled to find a rhythm, finishing with 5 points on 2-for-12 shooting and three turnovers before head coach Tiago Splitter decided the performance was no longer good enough to keep him on the floor.
Splitter framed the decision as part of Wilsons growth, not just a one-game setback, and said the rookie has to respond the right way when things go sideways. For a young player trying to earn trust, the message was clear: development in Chicago is going to require more than talent, because resilience and the ability to learn from adversity are part of the standard too. [Read more 🡒]