Bulls’ Defensive Struggles Hit Rock Bottom After Trade Deadline Shuffle
Five games into February, and the Chicago Bulls are wearing a defensive rating of 127.5 - the worst in the league by a wide margin. To put that in perspective, they’re 3.6 points behind the 29th-ranked Washington Wizards.
That’s not just bad; it’s historically rough. The Bulls have also allowed a league-worst 129.4 points per game during this stretch - and they’ve lost all five contests.
Defensive Issues Aren’t New - But They’re Getting Worse
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a sudden collapse. Chicago’s defense had already been on shaky ground.
Through the end of January, the Bulls ranked 23rd in defensive rating (116.4) and 26th in opponents’ points per game (119.7). That’s not far off from where they finished last season - 19th in defensive rating and 28th in points allowed.
So, the trend line was already pointing in the wrong direction.
Given that context, you’d expect the front office to target some defensive help at the trade deadline. After all, they brought in a league-high seven players in a flurry of moves. But instead of shoring up the defense, the Bulls somehow managed to get worse - significantly worse.
Chemistry Takes Time - But So Does Accountability
It’s only fair to acknowledge that this kind of roster turnover takes time to settle. New players are adjusting to new roles, rotations are in flux, and defensive schemes don’t lock in overnight. There’s some grace to be given here.
But at the same time, the Bulls' front office, led by Artūras Karnišovas, has to wear part of this. Yes, he deserves credit for shaking up a stagnant roster and stockpiling eight second-round picks in the process.
That’s a forward-thinking move in terms of asset management. But when your team is already struggling defensively, and you don’t bring in a single proven defender?
That’s a problem.
New Faces, Same Defensive Problems
Let’s talk about the new additions and how they stack up defensively. Using CraftedNBA’s CraftedDBPM - a solid metric that blends on-court impact with defensive performance - here’s where Chicago’s newcomers rank among the 375 players who’ve logged at least 250 minutes this season:
- Nick Richards: 281st
- Rob Dillingham: 292nd
- Jaden Ivey: 293rd
- Guerschon Yabusele: 299th
- Anfernee Simons: 355th
- Collin Sexton: 361st
Leonard Miller doesn’t meet the 250-minute threshold, but if you lower the bar to 90 minutes played, he ranks 356th out of 430 players.
In other words, none of these players are helping you on the defensive end - at least not right now. And while the players they traded away weren’t exactly lockdown defenders either (with the exceptions of Dalen Terry at 84th and Julian Phillips at 127th), it’s still concerning that not one league-average defender was brought in during the deadline frenzy.
Missed Opportunities?
It’s possible the Bulls were prioritizing future flexibility and draft capital over immediate impact. That’s a valid strategy, especially if you’re not ready to push all your chips in. But even within that framework, there were opportunities to add at least one capable defender.
Players like Jaylen Clark (88th in CraftedDBPM) or Josh Green (158th) could’ve been attainable. There were also young bigs with upside, like Moussa Diabate (75th) or Joan Beringer (157th). No one’s saying these players were being shopped, but considering the Bulls gave up meaningful pieces - including Coby White to Charlotte and Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota - you’d expect some defensive value in return.
No Resistance, No Results
The results speak for themselves. The Bulls have now dropped five straight games, giving up at least 123 points in each one.
Whether they’re quietly angling for a better draft pick or not, this level of defensive apathy is hard to overlook. Even a modest improvement - a few more contested shots, a handful of stops in crunch time - could change the tone around this team.
Instead, what we’re seeing is a group that’s struggling to find its identity on defense, despite having the personnel to at least compete. The effort isn’t always the issue - it’s the lack of cohesion, the breakdowns in communication, and the absence of a defensive anchor.
What’s Next?
The Bulls are in a transition phase, no doubt. But if the goal is to build a sustainable contender, defense has to be part of the blueprint. Right now, it’s missing - and until that changes, the losses will keep piling up.
This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about pride, effort, and the ability to impose your will on the other end of the floor. The Bulls haven’t done that all season - and after the trade deadline, it’s clear they didn’t prioritize it either.