As of now, the Chicago Bulls have more than 72 games left on the calendar. And that’s a problem.

The Bulls sit 4-6 through their first ten games of the season. While that record isn’t anything to call home about, it is better than most expected. A lot of this is due to the team’s buy-in to head coach Billy Donovan’s new offensive identity. We’ve seen the Bulls operate at the league’s highest PACE to begin the season, as well as record the NBA’s second-highest AST%. No, they aren’t the most efficient scoring team (15th in EFG%), but they are among the most unselfish and have consistently tired teams out over 48 minutes.

In fact, each of the Bulls’ wins this season have come despite a 15+ point deficit. They have shown unexpected resilience and discipline in the face of adversity, which I can’t deny is a positive when we consider the many young pieces that fill this roster.

So what exactly is the problem? Well, the Bulls may be showing signs of being too competitive. This season isn’t supposed to be about the win-loss column. If the Bulls want to build a sustainable, long-term winner, they have to prioritize player development and draft positioning in the short term. The latter is particularly prudent this season, as their 2025 first-round pick currently belongs to the San Antonio Spurs and is top 10 protected. In other words, if the Bulls want to select a high-upside youngster in what many believe is a very deep draft, they must finish as one of the NBA’s worst 10 teams.

They aren’t one of those right now.

Chicago Bulls Start Slow in Tank Race

If the season ended today, the Chicago Bulls would sit 9th in the Eastern Conference and 11th in the overall league standings. This means they would appear in their third-straight Play-In Tournament and – sans some insane lottery luck – watch their pick end up in the laps of the San Antonio Spurs.

All things considered, this has been the fear ever since it became clear that veterans like Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic would return this season. Both players have been off to All-Star-caliber starts and have played vital roles in the Bulls’ comeback victories. On the one hand, this could prove great for the individual value of LaVine and Vucevic on the trade market. On the other hand, the more games they help this team win now, the more trouble the Bulls might be in come May.

We’re only 10 games into the season, so I understand how silly this conversation might feel. But I don’t think we can simply assume that the Bulls will stop walking this dangerous line. Far too often we’ve seen the organization trick themselves into thinking they’re further ahead than they are. There is a lot of time left for Arturas Karnisovas to convince himself that pursuing a No. 8 seed is worthwhile. Likewise, head coach Billy Donovan has never been one to embrace a tank. We’ve already seen him struggle to give No. 11 overall pick Matas Buzelis the room to make mistakes.

I also didn’t love what I heard from Marc Stein in a recent interview with the guys over at CHGO. The long-time NBA insider mentioned that the Bulls sound motivated to win as many games as possible.

“I just saw the guys in Dallas, and talking to people with the team, that’s the vibe you get from being around this team,” Stein said of the Bulls trying to play to their ceiling. “I spoke to one person in the organization and they’re saying ‘Zach is going to be an All-Star in the East this season.’ Again, that’s why this team, I’m so fascinated by. They are way too good … How on earth are your Chicago Bulls going to hang on to that top 10 pick?”

You can listen to Stein’s full interview with the CHGO guys on YouTube.

Look, as I’ve said since the offseason, I would never expect the organization to outright admit they are tanking. But there are things you can do to signify that wins and losses aren’t the focus, and the team clearly didn’t do those things when Stein was around in Dallas. I don’t love that!

I’m not sounding the alarm yet, to be clear. Time remains on the Bulls’ side, and I do believe their ability to potentially trade LaVine or Vucevic (or both) gives them a leg up in what is bound to be a tight tank race. However, every single game matters when we’re talking about draft positioning, and I’m not convinced the Bulls realize that just yet.