Chicago Bulls: Bench Struggles, Inconsistencies Continue

Despite plenty going right for the Chicago Bulls so far this season, they still have their bench and overall inconsistent play to worry about.

The Chicago Bulls certainly have plenty to celebrate.

Their experiment of bringing Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler together has worked. No one seems to miss Derrick Rose or Joakim Noah. Head coach Fred Hoiberg seems to be finally finding his footing.

In other words, so far, the organization has proved all the naysayers quite wrong.

Yes, the team that was supposed to be a disaster is currently 11-10, with wins against teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers under their belts.

But that does not mean it is all rainbows and sunshine in Chicago. Because the Bulls still have a handful of things to work on.

First and foremost of those is their bench.

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The Alpha Three are going strong. While Rondo is leading the team as the playmaker, Wade is continuing to drink from his newfound fountain of youth, leaving Butler to keep proving he is one of the best players in the league right now.

And then there is Taj Gibson, a guy who is constantly underrated but is essentially the glue holding the entire team together.

Not to mention Robin Lopez, someone many were unsure about going into 2016-17 but has definitely shown his worth on both ends of the floor.

However beyond that, Chicago is struggling.

Look at Bobby Portis for instance. Coming off of a lackluster 2015-16, he showed great signs of improvement this offseason, during the likes of Summer League. Fans were excited to see the energy he could provide off of the bench, hoping he would keep developing into a well-rounded, dependable player.

But having played in 18 matchups already, averaging only 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds a game in 11.6 minutes of play … it seems he is still struggling to become relevant in this system.

Nikola Mirotic has also faced hardship this year, even after spending time playing in the 2016 Summer Olympics. Appearing in 21 contests for an average of 22.6 minutes, he is only averaging 8.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

In fact, Mirotic has recently found himself at the center of the trade rumor mill, people wondering when the Bulls will move on.

With Michael Carter-Williams still out, Isaiah Canaan has found himself heavily relied upon, but unfortunately is not delivering what is needed either.

While he has displayed flashes of growth in the 21 games he has seen time during, currently the guard is averaging just 7.1 points a contest, on 21.1 minutes of play.

Inconsistency across the board is also a problem however.

Chicago may have torn apart Cleveland, but they still fell short to the Dallas Mavericks the very next night, a team that has only won three other games so far this season. In fact, since then, the Bulls have lost three straight.

All games that Chicago should have had no problem with.

Must Read: Chicago Bulls: Same Old Rajon Rondo? Think Again.

The Bulls may have started 2016-17 on the right foot, but unfortunately it seems as though bad habits of the past are starting to pop up yet again.

The good news is, there is still plenty of time for Chicago to right these wrongs, and continue on their campaign towards being a top contender in the Eastern Conference.

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