Julian Phillips Brings the Edge the Bulls Desperately Need
Things are unraveling fast in Chicago. The Bulls have now dropped four straight, and what’s most alarming isn’t just the losses-it’s who they’re losing to.
Three of those defeats came against teams sitting near the bottom of the standings. Add in a 3-7 record over their last 10, and it’s clear this isn’t just a cold stretch.
This is a team stuck in neutral, and the engine’s starting to sputter.
The issues? They’re layered.
This isn’t a matter of tweaking a rotation or riding out a shooting slump. The bench has lost its bite.
The defense is porous. The team struggles to close out games.
And when things get tight late, Chicago doesn’t have the physicality or grit to impose its will. That’s a problem in today’s NBA, where pace is up, possessions are fast, and physicality often separates contenders from pretenders.
Head coach Billy Donovan sees it. He’s been preaching toughness and urgency since media day.
After the Bulls’ latest loss to the Magic, he didn’t mince words: “Everybody is playing fast now. Now it comes down to physicality, holding your ground, body in play, screening, loose balls, how well can you convert from offense to defense, defense to offense.”
So far, that message hasn’t consistently translated to the court. But one player might be listening louder than the rest.
Julian Phillips: Injecting Life Into a Flat Bulls Squad
Enter Julian Phillips. The second-year forward got his first real opportunity of the season against Orlando, logging 20 minutes-and he made every one of them count.
Phillips finished with 10 points, three rebounds (two of them offensive), and posted a +9 in the box score, the second-best mark on the team. But the numbers only tell part of the story. What jumped off the screen was his energy-relentless, disruptive, and contagious.
At 6-foot-8 and around 200 pounds, Phillips isn’t the bulkiest player on the floor, but he plays bigger than his frame. He’s long, springy, and he doesn’t shy away from contact.
Defensively, he’s active and alert. Offensively, he’s a finisher-something the Bulls have sorely lacked off the bench.
Of his four made shots, three were emphatic dunks, and the fourth was a three-pointer. He wasn’t just scoring-he was making statements.
One of those dunks came in transition off an alley-oop. Another was a putback slam that gave the Bulls a three-point lead in the fourth quarter.
And perhaps the most electric moment? A poster dunk over Jonathan Isaac that sent a jolt through the United Center.
Then came the follow-up: Phillips hung on the rim, nearly colliding with Desmond Bane in the process. It was a moment that screamed edge-something this Bulls team has been missing all season. Bane later baited Matas Buzelis into a technical foul, but the message was clear: Phillips isn’t afraid of the moment, and he’s not backing down.
Why Phillips’ Skill Set Matters Right Now
Look, Phillips isn’t going to fix everything. He’s not an enforcer in the traditional sense.
But he brings a rare blend of athleticism, length, and attitude that this roster is sorely lacking. He’s the kind of player who doesn’t need the ball to make an impact.
He gets his hands dirty-on the glass, in passing lanes, in transition.
Chicago doesn’t have many guys like that right now. Two-way forward Emanuel Miller could be another option down the road.
At 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds (and looking even sturdier than that), Miller has the frame to bring some muscle. But Phillips has the edge in experience, with 137 NBA games under his belt.
He’s still learning, still figuring out how to consistently impact games, but the flashes are there-and they’re loud.
In a season that’s quickly slipping away, the Bulls need to find sparks wherever they can. Phillips might not be the answer, but he’s absolutely part of the solution.
His energy is real. His impact is tangible.
And if Chicago wants to claw its way back into relevance, it starts with giving guys like Phillips a longer leash.
Because right now, the Bulls don’t just need talent-they need fight. And Julian Phillips is showing he’s ready to bring both.