Chicago Bulls: Reasons Behind Recent Winning Streak

The Chicago Bulls have won their last four contests, but what are the reasons behind their recent success?

A week ago, the Chicago Bulls were in the midst of a three-game losing streak. During that skid, they were outplayed in the fourth quarter, with two of those losses coming on the heels of building double-digit leads heading into the final frame.

As a result of their disappointing play, many questioned whether or not the team would find a way to turn things around. Even Jimmy Butler stated that this team was not playing with the killer instinct needed to put away opponents in the late stages of games, which was difficult to argue based on the product that fans were seeing on the court.

But just as mysteriously as the losing streak came about, the Bulls have responded by winning four straight games and improving to 15-8 on the season. That being said, today we will take a closer look to the factors that have contributed to Chicago’s recent four-game winning streak.

Rediscovering Intensity On Defense

The Bulls are currently ranked fifth in the league in points allowed per outing, yielding 96.9 points per contest. But during their aforementioned three-game skid, they were giving up 99 points per game.

However, over the past four contests, they are giving up a stingy 88.8 points per outing. Along with that, they have held their opponents to 40.5 percent shooting from the field. In other words, when you find a way to lock down the opposing teams defensively, you will come away with wins more times than not.

Second Unit Contributing

Although the team as a whole has not always lived up to its fullest potential, the reserves have been playing well as of late. In the past four games, the bench unit has averaged 39.5 points per contest.

This includes outbursts of 52 and 51 points respectively against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Philadelphia 76ers. And with the starters struggling at times, the contributions of the second unit have been timely to say the least.

Recent Lineup Changes

Coming into the season, Fred Hoiberg mentioned that he would not be afraid to tinker with the lineup when the situation calls for it. And that sentiment held true as he moved Joakim Noah to the bench in favor of second-year forward Nikola Mirotic.

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In light of the Bulls’ recent struggles, Hoiberg relegated Mirotic back to the bench and inserted Taj Gibson into the starting lineup.  And the results of that decision have paid off thus far.

Not only has Gibson added a solid defensive presence to the starting five, but Mirotic is shooting the ball at a higher clip. In fact, coming into the month of December, Mirotic was shooting 39 percent from the field, including a 23.8 percent effort from beyond the arc.

But over the course of the winning streak, his overall percentage has increased to 46 percent and he is converting 50 percent of his attempts from three-point range. Whether or not this will be the last time that Hoiberg has to juggle the lineup remains to be seen. However, for the time being, this group has managed to find some form of consistent play from both units.

Players Accepting New Roles

It is difficult for a first-year coach to come into a situation where a team has had success under the previous coaching regime. And making what could be categorized as unpopular moves can make that transition even more difficult.

But despite the unconventional moves that Hoiberg has made so far, he has already earned the respect of his players. For example, Noah was outwardly frustrated with being demoted to the bench.

And who could blame him? After all, Noah is a two-time All-Star and had not played with the second unit since midway through his second season. However, Noah has continued to put the betterment of the team ahead of his own personal success. And the same can be said for Mirotic in regards to his recent move back to the bench.

The willingness of the players to accept whatever role they are given has not been lost on Hoiberg and he offered this assessment on how important this attribute is to the team during an interview with CSN Chicago:

"“You know what, it is a very unselfish team,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “When guys are accepting of change and roles, they may not always like it but they’re accepting of it, they don’t complain about it and it’s important. If you change something based on what you see, it’s easier on the coach when guys accept it.”"

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And when you have a group of players who willingly buy into the system while sacrificing personal accolades in the process, the team’s chances of achieving long-term success will continue to increase as the season progresses.