Chicago Bulls: What has gone wrong for the potential East dark horse team?

What exactly has gone wrong for the Chicago Bulls, who entered the season with decent expectations but have unfortunately fallen flat on their backs

Many around the league, before the season, projected the Chicago Bulls to be a dark horse contender for a playoff spot in a weak Eastern Conference. Their collection of young assets had the organization excited and primed to compete for a playoff push.

However, two months into the season, those expectations need to be tamed as the Bulls sit with just a 9.2 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, and it’s not hard to see why.

Zach LaVine- an uber-athletic, big combo guard, who is most known for his highlight-reel dunks- was the prized return of the Jimmy Butler trade two years ago. He has had a roller-coaster tenure with the team but his play seems to be impressive on paper.

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His averages sit at 23.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per contest while shooting 39.5 percent from 3-point range. However, when you go deeper into the stats it is understandable why the Bulls are frustrated with his play.

LaVine has shown little interest on the defensive side of the ball. According to NBA.com, LaVine’s defensive rating (measures points allowed per 100 possessions) sits at 107.4, an alarming mark for a player in his sixth season. LaVine was recently benched by head coach Jim Boylen (more on him later) for what was, according to him, “three egregious defensive mistakes.”

Only one night later, he scored 49 points and hit a game-winning 3, showing how truly frustrating the talented guard can be. It’s not only LaVine who has caused the slow start for the young Bulls.

Lauri Markkanen, the No. 7 pick from the 2017 NBA Draft, added to that infamous Butler trade, has taken a major step back this season. His scoring has fallen from 18.7 points per game a season ago to 14.7 points per contest this year, rebounds have fallen from 9.0 to 6.8 and he’s shooting an abysmal 33.2 percent from 3 after shooting 36 percent a year ago.

Markkanen, who is eligible for a contract extension off of his rookie deal after the season, is the perfect player in the pace and space era, so his struggles couldn’t come at a worse time for his pockets and the Bulls playoff hopes. Perhaps the biggest obstacle the Bulls have had to overcome this season has been the absence of Otto Porter.

Porter, who was acquired at the trade deadline last season from the Washington Wizards, rejuvenated a once-promising career. In his nine games this season, Porter has seen all of his major statistics decline. While Porter isn’t necessarily paid for his work on the offensive end- a scary $27 million this year and a sure to be accepted player option for $28 million next year- his defense hasn’t been where the Bulls expected during his short time on the floor. His defensive rating sits at 108.4, worse than players like Lou Williams and James Harden.

I can go on and on about all the question marks surrounding this team. Kris Dunn (the last piece in the Butler trade), has been a major disappoint in the NBA. He will become a restricted free agent after the season, once the Bulls decided not to extend him this past offseason. Thad Young, a veteran signed this off-season, has been regulated to a disappointing bench role. Rookie Colby White has shown no interest in doing anything but chucking away the ball every time it’s in his hands.

Perhaps the biggest question mark surrounds their coach Jim Boylen. Known as a hard-nosed defensive-minded leader who runs intense practices, Boylen’s record since taking over sits at 29-61. While that record shouldn’t be an exact reflection on him as a coach, Boylen might be in deep water with the team’s star player.

After LaVine’s benching, the guard was quoted after the game:

"“…if he doesn’t trust me, it’s hard to trust someone who doesn’t trust you.”"

Frightening words from a team’s franchise player, who is still under contract for at least another two years. It’s possible if this relationship sours, the Bulls will have to choose between their star player and their recently extended coach.

To make matters worse, the Bulls record sits at a disappointing 12-20, the team is 1-11 against clubs that are currently over .500, showing they have been stacking their wins against the bottom feeders of the league.

Lastly, the Bulls are on the hook for at least $106 million in salaries going into next season, limiting their potential to add to an already weird roster. Perhaps the Bulls need to figure out who should be on this roster over the course of the next few seasons before they can really start to think about the playoffs.