Chicago Bulls: 5 takeaways from first 2 weeks of 2017-18 season

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 21: Kay Felder #3 of the Chicago Bulls attempts a layup in the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at the United Center on October 21, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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5. The long ball may not be the team’s best weapon after all

Last season, the Bulls had a couple of players on the roster who were capable of creating offense when it was needed. In the absence of this talent, one factor that has been emphasized in Fred Hoiberg‘s offense is 3-point shooting.

This sentiment is supported by the fact the Bulls finished second in made 3-point field goals with 80 during their six-game preseason slate. The emphasis on long range shooting has continued into the regular season as well, with the team averaging 32.4 attempts per contest — good enough for the sixth-best mark in the league.

While the Bulls will definitely need to hit their fair share of shots from distance to have a chance of winning some games, the one interesting trend I’ve discovered is the long ball may not be their best weapon. For instance, in the three games in which they made 10 or more shots from beyond the arc (against the Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder), they lost by an average of 18.7 points per contest.

Conversely, in the other two games in which the Bulls recorded less than 10 made field goals from distance, they suffered a 10-point loss against the Spurs, but managed to beat the Atlanta Hawks 91-86.

Again, it’s a small sample size at this point, but it will be interesting to see how this trend plays out as the season progresses.

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