Bulls miserable first-quarter performances don't add up
It's accurate to say the Bulls' first-quarter defense has been awful so far this season. Miserable, lifeless and nonexistent are other appropriate descriptions.
Heading into Monday's action, the Bulls ranked last in the NBA in first-quarter points allowed (33.1), first-quarter opponents' field-goal percentage (. 535) and opponent 3-point percentage (. 576).
The one exception was the Oct. 26 game against Indiana, another poor first-quarter team. That night, the Bulls started fast and built an early lead. Otherwise, six of seven opponents have shot better than 50% in the opening 12 minutes, and in four of the last five, the Bulls have fallen behind by at least 14 points in the first half.
"I just think it's intensity, physicality, energy. All things we can control," forward Patrick Williams said Monday at the Advocate Center. " I think we kind of get hit in the mouth first and then we punch back, then we fight back. I think when we punch first, we've been a really good team."
Coach Billy Donovan said he'll consider altering the starting lineup, but there have already been changes. Zach LaVine has started four of the seven games as he eases back from knee surgery. Ayo Dosunmu missed Saturday's loss to Philadelphia with a back injury. DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and Williams have started every game, with the other two slots split between LaVine, Dosunmu and Alex Caruso.
Does a shifting starting lineup explain the lack of defensive chemistry?
"The thing that's a little bit strange, so to speak, is when those guys have gotten back into the game after coming out, they've been good," Donovan said. "You have to look at it, there's no way of getting around it because the numbers certainly dictate you need to. But sometimes making decisions, you want to take a deeper dive a little bit."
Besides the inconsistent lineups, a few more issues stand out. The Bulls are often starting two young players in Williams and Dosunmu, which is a tough matchup when teams like Philadelphia trot out long-tenured veterans like P.J. Tucker, James Harden and Tobias Harris. Then again, San Antonio has mostly young players and produced the same fast start on Friday.
It's also fair to say the Bulls don't have any great defensive players besides Caruso. That's probably the biggest thing they miss with Lonzo Ball sidelined.
Then again, that doesn't explain why the Bulls rank last in defensive rating in the first quarter, but with the same players on the floor, they are fourth in the league - yes, fourth - in third-quarter defensive rating.
"I think we always dig ourselves a hole and we end up fighting our way out of it," Williams said. "It kind of just shows the team we are. We're talented enough to get back in the game, but we can't dig ourselves that much of a hole."
This season, many of the defensive problems have focused on the center position. Opponents are attacking backup Andre Drummond as much as they do Vucevic.
San Antonio constantly put centers Jakob Poeltl and Zach Collins in pick-and-rolls, forcing Vucevic and Drummond to defend at the 3-point line. In Saturday's first quarter, the Bulls sent Caruso to help on Joel Embiid. Sometimes Embiid scored anyway, while the Sixers also worked the ball around and found open shots.
The 76ers also scored on the fast break, and finished the first quarter on an 11-3 run with five subs in the game. Again, it's a variety of issues.
Drummond will miss his second-straight game due to a left shoulder strain when the Bulls visit Brooklyn on Tuesday. Dosunmu participated in Monday's practice and is hoping to play.
Donovan wasn't sure of LaVine's status, since the Nets game begins another set of back-to-backs for the Bulls. Coby White also joined the injured list as questionable with a left quad contusion.
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