The Chicago Bulls have had an unpredictable start to the year. Before the season began, they were predicted to miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year and land around 33 wins. They started 5-0 and shocked the entire NBA world. After a rocky stretch, followed by a gauntlet of games and a slew of injuries, they dropped five decisions in a row. In their last four outings, they've gone 2-2, to bring their record on the 2025-26 campaign to 9-8 and the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference standings. This would mean qualifying for the NBA Play-In tournament yet again. Through the first dozen games, vibes were high, fans were hopeful, and the locker room was firing on all cylinders. Over the last two weeks, the Bulls have experienced a significant shift in their mood, demeanor, and performance on the floor.
Nikola Vucevic Is Tired Of The Same Culprits
Chicago's second-longest tenured player, 35-year-old Nikola Vucevic, has reached a breaking point. In his six seasons with the team, they've only qualified for the playoffs one time and have finished below the .500 mark four times. The recurring issues for the franchise continue to be defense, rebounding, and consistent offensive performers. Early in the year, they'd solved many of those issues, including having nearly ten players average at least eight points per game. Saturday night, despite squeaking out the win against the 1-15 Washington Wizards, he was visibly upset with the team's trend.
Vućević was NOT HAPPY after close game with 1-15 Wizards 😳
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 23, 2025
Bulls only won by 1 point 😬 pic.twitter.com/ptNkB3AFD5
Vucevic's frustrations are valid, but also somewhat hypocritical. His lack of rim-protection and being one of the least athletic centers in the game are where several of Chicago's issues stem from. The message is correct, that the team should not be hooting and hollering when they luckily slid past one of the league's worst teams, but his contributions could better reflect what he is preaching.
Billy Donovan Agrees They Are "Soft"
After hearing that Vucevic suggested and agreed with reporters that the group was "soft", head coach Billy Donovan echoed the same sentiment. With a team as youthful and energetic as the current bunch in Chicago, lacking effort and relentless pursuit should not be a weakness. In a similar boat to his veteran center, Donovan's words come with some room for self-reflection. Giving up over 70 points in the last two games, to teams with a combined four wins, is simply unacceptable and the responsibility of the head coach to rectify. The Bulls have seemingly taken their hot start for granted, assuming they are talented enough to roll into any matchup and compete. The last two outings have proven the opposite to be true.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan agreed with Nikola Vucevic's "soft" comment:
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 23, 2025
"I think to Vooch's point it's not sustainable to play a half... the hard part for us tonight was maybe shots weren't falling because it was [5 games in 7 nights]... but I thought we ended up winning the… pic.twitter.com/moWMML1zig
The Bulls have one of the easiest schedules over the next five games. Are they able to quickly correct the lack of effort and energy, and take advantage of a weak point in their slate? The next two weeks will be a massive indicator to where this team will land for the remainder of the season, and if they'll be in a playoff push, or a lottery slot when April rolls around.
