“More often than not, if you continue to play this way, it’s just going to be bad losses after bad losses,” Nikola Vucevic said Saturday after a one-point win against the Washington Wizards.
This must be what he was talking about.
The Chicago Bulls continue to play down to the level of their opponent, this time losing to the now 3-15 New Orleans Pelicans 143-130 and falling to 9-8 on the season.
The Pelicans wrecked the Bulls inside. They had 19 offensive rebounds, 30 second-chance points, 70 points at the rim, and attempted 35 free throws. Needless to say, allowing 143 points to the league’s 27th-ranked offense is not a recipe for success.
To be fair, the Bulls were riddled with injuries, too. Vucevic (knee) was out for the first time this season, so the Bulls went small with Patrick Williams starting at the center spot. It hurt them not to have their starting center out there, but it’s not like Vucevic is going to remove all those points at the rim.
Chicago made a strong push at the end of the game, but this time, they weren’t able to win it.
Up next: The Bulls have three days off before heading back out on the road for games in Charlotte on Friday, Indiana on Saturday and Orlando on Monday. Happy Thanksgiving!
Matching up with the Pelicans brings back memories of draft night and the opportunities that could have been. The Bulls went with Noa Essengue with the 12th overall pick. The Pelicans traded up to 12, for a hefty price, to take Derik Queen at 13.
It was just Essengue’s second NBA appearance. He didn’t do much, going 0-of-2 and getting stuffed by Queen at the rim.
Meanwhile, Queen had 8 points, five rebounds, four assists on 4-of-9 shooting in just 17 minutes — he did not play in the second half.
Billy Donovan told reporters in New Orleans pre-game that Queen was one of the few prospects the front office asked him to scout, adding that the team viewed Essengue as a higher upside prospect who fit the Bulls’ style with his length and athleticism on the wing.
The Bulls don’t have a long-term option at center on the roster — Vucevic is 35 and in the final year of his deal. Queen is sure looking like he could be that guy, and he fits exactly what the Bulls need out of their center.
Just a quarter of the way into their rookie seasons, it’s far too early to draw any substantive conclusions. Queen was more NBA ready, Essengue is two full years younger and does have upside at a valuable position.
Still, by far the best decision would have been to take the offer the Pelicans ended up giving to Atlanta: the 23rd pick in the draft and the better of their own and Milwaukee’s pick in 2026 unprotected, for the rights to move up to 13 to draft Queen.
Imagine how much better off the Bulls would be, and how much more logical their directional path would be, if they could truly lean into competitiveness this year while also getting what could be a top-five pick in this year’s loaded class.
The Bulls gave up 70 first-half points to the Wizards – one of the league’s worst offensive teams – on Saturday. Vucevic said they played with zero resistance for three quarters. The Bulls (without Vooch, sitting with a sore knee) followed that up by surrendering 74 first-half points to the Pelicans. One of the other worst offensive teams in the league. Awesome stuff.
Donovan made an interesting choice starting Williams over Jalen Smith, and it backfired. The Pelicans destroyed the Bulls with offensive boards and second-chance points in the first half. Billy started Smith to begin the third quarter, benching Matas Buzelis and leaving Williams in. Not a great look on a night when Pat looked as lifeless as, well…Pat.
Isaac Okoro cannot be this important to a team’s defense. And it’s not like they’re even a good defensive team when he plays.
Bright spot: Ayo Dosunmu continues to be an absolute stud. Always plays hard and is scoring at one of the most efficient clips of all guards in the NBA so far this season. We never know what to expect from this team as a whole. But we know we can always count on Ayo to do his part.
Can I do the “told ya” shrug to the Kool-Aid drinkers yet? No…? I’ll give it some more time. Bulls have a bunch of “bum teams” on their upcoming schedule. How many of them will they beat? Will they beat any of them convincingly? None of my bets will be based on believing they will.
What the hell, man?!?? 74 points in the 1at half?!?!? To the 27TH-RANKED OFFENSE IN THE LEAGUE?!? I need a minute.
That first half was absolutely ridiculous. They honestly should be ashamed. Appreciated the comeback led by Tre Jones. But man, they just were getting worked in the paint.
Dosunmu was the only one who got on the plane. He was constantly attacking and putting pressure on the rim. This would have been much worse without him.
Lee Patrick, man. No.
Destroyed inside and outside. Punked on rebounds and interior scoring. Trash from the line. This was the worst.
A mess. A hot mess.
— Big Dave
