We’re nearly through the first week in February, and Chicago—one of my preseason picks to surprise the rest of the NBA—is tied for first in the East. But it remains to be seen how much longer the Bulls can hang in that pole position, and Thursday night illustrated why.
Many of Chicago’s biggest challenges were laid bare during the club’s overtime loss in Toronto, one in which the hobbled roster struggled with its defensive rotations in key moments. Specifically, the nail in the coffin during the loss came in the closing moments, with the Raptors up two.