Among the 10 teams with the toughest remaining schedules, only one sits outside the top 10 in its conference: the Chicago Bulls. Chicago has the NBA’s fourth-hardest remaining slate. The next non-playoff team is the Dallas Mavericks, ranked 11th.
Consequently, the Bulls’ post-All-Star break schedule will likely be littered with "L’s." Even though Chicago has been solid against teams above .500 this season, this is a completely different Bulls team. The group that went 12–14 against tougher competition no longer exists.
Chicago added seven new players ahead of the trade deadline, the largest influx of talent in the NBA.