Chicago Bulls: Biggest strengths and weaknesses for 2017-18
Strength No. 2: Defense
One of the reasons why the Bulls were enamored with Fred Hoiberg was the offensive system he implemented during his five years as a collegiate coach. However, the Bulls have not excelled in this category during his first two years in the NBA.
In 2015-16, the Bulls averaged 101.6 per contest and posted an offensive rating of 105 points per 100 possessions. This ranked them 21st and 23rd in these categories.
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The following season, the Bulls ranked 23rd in scoring with 102.9 points per outing and finished with an offensive rating of 107.4 points per 100 possessions — putting them at the No. 20 spot. In other words, Hoiberg’s desired pace-and-space system has yet to materialize.
Conversely, the Bulls played fairly well from a defensive standpoint last season. Following a 2015-16 campaign in which they finished in the middle of the pack, the Bulls improved in this area during Hoiberg’s second season.
In fact, their 102 points allowed per contest, combined with a defensive rating of 107 points per 100 possessions, were the sixth-best marks in the NBA. When Tom Thibodeau was roaming the sidelines, the Bulls always had a chance of winning games because of the tenacity they played with on defense.
If this group can find a way to replicate the defensive effort from those years as well as what we saw last season, perhaps the Bulls will win more games than expected.
But with Butler and Taj Gibson gone, that’s a big “if.”