Against all odds, the Chicago Bulls have started the 2025-26 season 2-0. They were underdogs in their first two outings, at home against the Detroit Pistons and on the road against the Orlando Magic. Both of those teams were in the Eastern Conference playoffs a season ago. The way the Bulls pulled it off in each win was nearly opposite, but the key factors remained. An evenly spread scoring attack, stifling defense, and getting to the free-throw line were the backbone of both wins. In the first outing, they led by double digits for most of the night, and had to hold on for the last five minutes to squeeze out the four-point victory. In Orlando, the game was back-and-forth until the Bulls pulled ahead by nine with eight minutes to play and never looked back, sealing the win by 12. What has Chicago learned from years prior, and is their formula for success sustainable over an entire year?
Shutting Down Their Best Player
The most significant difference this season is that the Bulls are taking away the opposition's first option. First, it was Cade Cunningham, who shot 8-of-24 from the floor, and then Paulo Banchero, who went 7-for-21. While both players still ended with 20 or more points in the box score, very inefficient nights riddled with turnovers and missed shots turned into a negative plus/minus while on the floor. This is primarily due to Isaac Okoro's addition and Matas Buzelis's weight gain over the offseason. Buzelis was in foul trouble early against Orlando due to the physicality of defending Banchero, but still made it difficult for the All-Star to get in rhythm. In the last game, Patrick Williams was a massive defensive help off the bench, helping to lock down Banchero's impressive offensive skillset. While Williams still hasn't proven worthy of the top-five pick Chicago used on him, he's finally showing an ability to contribute to winning basketball games.
The Chicago Bulls Through 2 Games Are 1st In Defensive Rating With a 101.1 Rating + That’s While Facing 2 Teams That Everyone Expects to Be At The Top of The Eastern Conference.
— 🐃Bulls🐃 ⚜️Saints⚜️ (@BuzelisWRLD14) October 26, 2025
Balanced Scoring Attack
The Bulls' offense is quirky. They have two elite playmakers for their respective positions, Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic, surrounded by mid-level scoring options from all three levels. Most of Chicago's roster is also young and athletic, preferring to run in transition and attack the rim with authority. This allows the two facilitators to orchestrate the offense and spread the rock amongst several options. On the first night, they had six players in double figures. On night two, they had seven. Several of those are also coming from the reserves, and many are aided by earning trips to the charity stripe and shooting the three-point ball at a decent rate. On any given night, their scoring attack remains random and evenly spread, making it difficult for the opposition to predict where the most dangerous threats reside.
Illini legend Ayo Dosunmu off the bench tonight in the Bulls 110-98 win in Orlando
— Cody Delmendo (@cody_illini) October 26, 2025
27 minutes
15 points
6-10 FG
3-4 3PT
+6
pic.twitter.com/TxoY1f4Wr1
Nice performance from Kevin Huerter in the Bulls season opening 115-111 win over the Pistons:
— Inside Maryland Sports (@Terrapins247) October 23, 2025
- 15 points
- 5 rebounds
- 2 blocks
- 1 steal pic.twitter.com/b4idqQuwaE
Vucevic and Giddey are the two driving forces on offense thus far, averaging at least 20 points per game. They will remain the most consistent scoring options for Chicago, and Vucevic's ability to stretch the floor is opening the paint for the rest of the young core to aggressively assert themselves at the rim.
Getting To The Free Throw Line
The free-throw numbers might be the most unsung byproduct of Chicago's ability to spread the floor with any combination of players. The three-point threats of Vucevic and Jalen Smith pull the opposing big men out of the lane, which correlates to more fouls when driving to the hoop. Last season, the Bulls averaged fewer than 20 attempts at the charity stripe per game. They've attempted at least 29 in their first two outings this year. Not only are they getting there, but they are also converting at a 78.7% rate. This has provided a newfound stability to their offensive approach. Rather than running, gunning, and only shooting outside shots, pushing the pace and forcing the issue inside have been clear directives to start the new campaign.
The Chicago Bulls went 26-32 from the free-throw line last night.
— Elias Schuster (@Schuster_Elias) October 23, 2025
They made 26 FTs in only three games total last season.
Buzelis was 7-7. Giddey was 8-11. Very encouraged to see from the jump.
Suppose the Bulls can continue to spread the love offensively, buckle down on defense and limit the opposition's top talent, and knock down free throws consistently. They may have found a sustainable formula for winning basketball in that case.
