Chicago Bulls: 3 reasons not to tank after All-Star break

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3. Younger players need to learn how to develop winning pedigree

During the Bulls’ 10-game losing streak earlier this season, at least three of the losses came as a result of the team’s inability to close out their opponent during the latter stages of those games.

For instance, in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers back in late November, the Bulls were ahead by 14 points going into intermission, before being outscored to the tune of 61-38 in the second half en route to a 103-94 defeat.

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In a game against the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 30, the Bulls were up by three with a minute left and even though Kris Dunn helped them reclaim a one-point lead with 10 seconds left in regulation, the Bulls’ defense failed to seal the deal, allowing the Nuggets to narrowly escape with a 111-110 victory.

Let’s not forget about the early December game against the Indiana Pacers. In that contest, the Bulls were ahead by a 14-point margin after three quarters of action. Once again, though, the Bulls failed to capitalize, as they were outscored 29-13 in the final frame, losing a game that was theirs for the taking.

We could also throw in the recent loss to the Sacramento Kings, a game in which the Bulls led by as many as 19 points before falling 104-98. This was the second such instance the Bulls lost a game after limiting the opposing team to single digits in the opening quarter.

The point is, while there is a lot of potential in several players on this Bulls roster, they have yet to develop the habits needed to play winning basketball in crunch time on a consistent basis.

With that being said, tanking won’t exactly help them improve in this area.

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