When the Toronto Raptors host the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, they won’t be tangling with a foe that looks intimidating on the surface.
The Bulls bring an unimpressive 40-42 record to the NBA play-in tournament and have a road winning percentage of just .439. Although those numbers make it clear that Chicago is no juggernaut, the Bulls present a very specific challenge for Toronto because they possess a defence that is nothing short of elite.
Since the beginning of 2023, Chicago has the best defensive rating in the NBA (110.