Two teams that have crushed expectations early on in the 2025-26 NBA campaign will face off on Tuesday night, with the Sixers kicking off their second back-to-back of the season with a road contest against the Chicago Bulls.
Mediocrity has been the common theme for the Bulls over the last several years, but so far this year they have thrived while playing an enjoyable brand of basketball. They pose a real challenge to any team on any given night.
Here to get us up to speed on all things Chicago is Steph Noh, who covers the NBA for The Sporting News and is one of the preeminent sources of Bulls content.
Let’s talk to Steph:
Adam Aaronson: Everyone expected the status quo from the Bulls: mediocrity. There is a lot of season left, but so far they have played some inspired basketball. What is clicking in Chicago?
Steph Noh: With respect to Josh Giddey, who is an early candidate for first-time All-Star, the Bulls don’t have a top-10 talent on their roster. What they do have is terrific depth.
As of Sunday morning, the Bulls have six guys on their team averaging double-digit points, and Patrick Williams is not far behind as a potential seventh at 9.2 per game. They have one of the best benches in the league, and they’re getting career performances from several key starters.
That is a reflection of their system of play. Steve Kerr is famous for stating that the ball has energy. The Bulls play as hard as anyone in the league, constantly pushing the pace. They can do that because everyone shares the ball and everyone plays a meaningful role in the offense. Their system is the polar opposite of the heliocentric style of a team like the old James Harden Rockets.
When you play the Bulls, you’re going to have to defend second, third, fourth, and fifth actions. And if you don’t sprint back, you’ll get burned by the first action. They take a ton of energy to defend. They have won by wearing teams out.
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AA: While Quentin Grimes’ restricted free agency did not have a happy ending, Josh Giddey’s did. How has Giddey looked this season, and what do you make of the Bulls’ four-year, $100 million investment in him?
SN: There was some question on who the real Giddey was coming into the year. He was rough to start his first season with the Bulls, but really turned it on in the second half of last year. That improvement was centered around incredibly hot three-point shooting and much-improved aggressiveness.
That second half Giddey looks like the real deal. He’s shooting 45.5 percent on mostly wide open threes this season, which is a wild development for a guy who couldn’t shoot at all in Oklahoma City. Giddey’s aggressiveness is also still there. He’s shooting a career-high 6.8 free throws per game, which is another stark contrast from his Thunder days where he shunned contact.
More than anything, he’s (literally) driving the play style that is leading to wins. He throws a ton of hit-ahead passes, drives-and-kicks, and is overall a great floor general. If he keeps this up, his contract will be a steal.
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AA: What is the best-case scenario here? The Eastern Conference is clearly weaker than usual. Do the Bulls have the capability of actually earning a top-six seed and avoiding the Play-In Tournament? Is their ceiling a more competitive Play-In team than they have been in years past?
SN: Best-case scenario, the Bulls can be a home-court advantage team. The predicted powerhouses of the East have all struggled out of the gate. It’s wide open up top. I don’t think that is likely, but it’s no longer out of the realm of possibility.
The Bulls have room to get better. Coby White hasn’t played yet, and he’s by some accounts the team’s best player. Zach Collins was slated to be the primary backup center and also hasn’t played due to a broken wrist. When those two get back, the Bulls will get even deeper. Both fit the style that has been so successful for the team.
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