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Chicago Bulls: Youth and inexperience continue to be issues

By James D. Tillman III

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 6: Denzel Valentine #45 of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers on December 6, 2017 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 6: Denzel Valentine #45 of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball against the Indiana Pacers on December 6, 2017 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Thanks to a lack of veteran leadership, the Chicago Bulls have struggled during the first quarter of the 2017-18 season.

The Chicago Bulls knew they were going to be in for an interesting season after making the decision to start over from square one. While the front office was excited about the young players on the roster prior to the start of the 2017-18 campaign, the youth movement hasn’t been anything to be overly excited about, to put it nicely.

First of all, the Bulls have the worst record in the NBA at 3-20. No, that isn’t a cruel joke. This squad has managed to produce just three wins through its first 23 games.

On top of that, with a recent road loss to the Indiana Pacers (more on that in a bit), the Bulls extended their current losing skid to 10 games. Although several factors have contributed to the team’s ugly start, the one thing that stands out the most is the inability to finish games.

Here’s a quick sample size of what I’m referring to.

In the eighth game of the season, the Bulls were holding their own against the New Orleans Pelicans and actually led by seven points going into the fourth quarter. It wasn’t meant to be, though, as the Pelicans managed to send the game into overtime before coming away with a 96-90 victory at the United Center.

Next up, there was the road game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 21. In that contest, the Bulls built up a 14-point advantage at halftime and led by as many as 19 points.

Unfortunately, the final 12 minutes proved to be their undoing as the Bulls were outscored 31-19 in the final frame, resulting in a 103-94 loss.

Another loss that was difficult to digest came against the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 30. As was the case in the previous examples, the Bulls built up a huge lead – 19 points to be exact. Despite the fact they managed to give all of it back, they were still in position to win the game following a nifty layup by Kris Dunn.

Unfortunately, the Nuggets scored on the ensuing possession and handed the Bulls their seventh consecutive loss.

Last, but certainly not least, let’s talk about the recent setback against the division rival Pacers.

Once again, the Bulls had it going early. In fact, they shot 7-for-15 from beyond the arc in the first 24 minutes, allowing them to take a 55-39 lead into the break. Furthermore, they held a 14-point advantage after three quarters of action.

What unfolded over the course of the next 12 minutes can only be described as horrific. As you’ve probably figured out, the Bulls coughed up a huge lead once again in dramatic fashion.

But despite their poor play, they still had a chance to come out on top. However, with the game tied at 94-94, Denzel Valentine committed a costly turnover, which subsequently led to this shot by Victor Oladipo.

Oladipo’s clutch shot proved to be the game-winner as the Bulls failed to score on their final two possessions.

How bad was this forgettable fourth quarter?

Well, after taking a 92-79 lead with a little over seven minutes left in regulation, the Bulls’ offense stalled, to say the least. Over the final stretch, the Bulls shot 1-for-10 from the field while committing four turnovers, as the Pacers used a 19-4 run to hand the Bulls yet another disappointing defeat.

Needless to say, this one doesn’t sit too well with the Bulls.

"“This one hurts a lot,” Hoiberg told the Chicago Tribune. “It’s a really, really hard game because we had control for the majority of it and played really good, hard, unselfish basketball. Guys are down. I’m proud of the effort guys came out with. We’ll have a good film session; try to figure out how to close out games.”"

When the Bulls parted ways with Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade during the offseason, they lost two players who knew how to perform at a higher level in crunch time – an attribute this young group knows nothing about.

Next: 2017-18 Week 8 NBA Power Rankings

Unless they are able to show improvement in this area, this current streak could be just the beginning of many more disappointing losses to come.

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