Bulls look for ways to reverse bad trend
The Bulls have dropped six of their last seven games, each of the past 3 losses fitting the description of especially brutal.
On Monday they returned to practice at the Berto Center searching for a way to set things straight tonight when another of the league's worst teams, the Sacramento Kings, visits the United Center. Here's a sample of how the Bulls plan to end their streak of poor play.
Step 1: Get back to work.
Most everyone praised the quality of Monday's practice. No word yet on whether the post-practice media training session did any good.
"You just go back to work, back to the basics," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "Just keep on harping on what we want to do at both ends of the court and guys buying into that, which they have. There's no secret formula to all this stuff. You've got to go out there and you've got to execute. You've got to play hard and you've got to make plays."
Added guard Ben Gordon, "We've got to get our mind right. I think it starts in practice and hopefully get some carry-over into games. We've been in the league long enough to realize you can get right back on a (winning) streak if you just change your attitude and come ready to compete and play every night."
Step 2: Get players healthy.
The Bulls have been without three potential starters, Kirk Hinrich (thumb) since Nov. 9, Drew Gooden (ankle) since Dec. 19 and Luol Deng (ankle) since Dec. 26.
Gooden had a second MRI exam Monday morning but later said there's a great chance he will play against the Kings.
"If I feel how I felt today in practice, I'm going to play," Gooden said. "I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed that there's no extra swelling when I wake up tomorrow."
Hinrich is hoping to return to practice later this week, while there is no word on when Deng may be ready.
Step 3: Share the ball and play some defense.
This has been easier said than done all season. The defense has given up 113 or more points four times in the last nine games. In Saturday's 102-92 home loss to Minnesota, however, the Bulls went scoreless for long stretches of the first half and couldn't fully recover.
"I think that's our Achilles' heel right now is letting teams score on us too easy," Gooden said. "I think we have to find our identity: Are we going to be a defensive team? Are we going to be an all-right defensive team?
"We've got to find something before it gets too late."
Some fans may be ready to write this off as another bad season. But with the toughest part of their schedule over, the Bulls should be able to compete for the playoffs if they can just accomplish some basic execution on both ends.
"If you continually put the work in, the results are going to come," Del Negro reasoned. "We still have enough good players to perform at a better level."