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The defense rests for the Bulls, and on some nights it flat-out sleeps

Colin Hubbard/AP

ATLANTA – It wasn’t that long ago that Coby White was a part of a top five NBA defense.

Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic as well.

It just feels long ago lately.

Missed blockouts, lack of communication on switches, just flat-out letting blow-bys occur on a nightly basis … Yes, 2022-23 might as well have been a decade ago.

It was that season in which Bulls coach Billy Donovan – helped immensely by defensive savant Alex Caruso – had the fifth best defense in terms of efficiency.

The Bulls woke up Monday in Atlanta 26th in defensive efficiency this season, fresh off a Sunday game in which they won, but allowed 150 points in a regulation game.