The Bulls Are Spiraling-And This Time, There’s No Hiding From a Rebuild
It’s hard to sugarcoat what’s happening in Chicago right now. The Bulls are in a tailspin.
Since Thanksgiving, they’ve managed just one win-and that came against a struggling Hornets team that’s barely keeping its head above water. Since the start of November, they’ve gone 5-14, racking up losses to teams like the Nets, Pacers (twice), and Pelicans (twice).
It’s not just the record that’s concerning-it’s the way they’re losing.
The offense has stalled out. The defense?
Practically nonexistent. And the schedule isn’t doing them any favors.
Their next five games are all against teams currently sitting in the top eight of the Eastern Conference. That’s a brutal stretch for a team that’s already reeling, and if the downward trend continues, we could be looking at a 10-20 record in the blink of an eye.
That’s a steep fall for a team that started the season 6-1. But maybe, just maybe, it’s the kind of collapse that finally forces the front office to face reality: this roster isn’t working, and it’s time to tear it down.
From Contender Hopes to the Bottom of the League
The contrast couldn’t be sharper. Back in early November, the Bulls were riding high.
ESPN had them 8th in their Power Rankings, pointing to a surprisingly improved defense as a key reason for the hot start. But that momentum didn’t last.
Fast forward to mid-December, and Chicago has plummeted to 25th in those same rankings.
NBA insider Jamal Collier didn’t hold back, writing, “No team in the league is playing as poorly as Chicago right now. The Bulls have dropped eight of their past nine games, despite eight of those games coming against teams under .500.”
That’s more than just a rough patch. That’s a team unraveling.
And the numbers back it up. Through mid-December, the Bulls rank 26th in points per game, 28th in field goal percentage, 29th in plus/minus, 28th in offensive rating, 25th in defensive rating, and 29th in net rating. That’s not just bad-that’s bottom-of-the-barrel across the board.
Déjà Vu, But Worse
What makes this skid even more frustrating for Bulls fans is that it feels eerily familiar. Last season, Chicago also started 10-15.
They managed to claw their way to 39 wins and sneak into the 9th seed, but that late push came at a cost: another year stuck in NBA purgatory. Not good enough to contend, not bad enough to land a top draft pick.
It’s the kind of middle ground that stalls franchises.
And now, they’re staring down the same path. Another 39-win season.
Another late-lottery pick. Another year of asking, *“What are we doing here?”
The difference this time? There’s even less reason to believe in a turnaround.
The chemistry just isn’t there. The cohesion is lacking.
And the numbers don’t lie-this team is underperforming on both ends of the floor.
Time to Sell - And Mean It
A 10-15 record in mid-December shouldn’t just be a red flag-it should be a flashing neon sign for the front office. It’s time to sell.
Chicago has assets. Seven players on expiring contracts.
Veterans who could help playoff-bound teams. Young pieces that might be more valuable elsewhere.
There’s no shortage of options-just a shortage of urgency. That has to change.
Fans may not love the idea of a rebuild, but at this point, standing pat is the only move that makes no sense. This version of the Bulls has had its chance. The results speak for themselves.
There’s still time to make something of this season-not in the standings, but in the long-term direction of the franchise. The question now is whether the Bulls’ front office is finally ready to face the music.
Because the fall has already begun. The only thing left to decide is whether Chicago wants to keep free-falling, or finally start building something new.