Looking Up Again?

It's been a trying stretch for the Bulls, who entered Friday's game with the Boston Celtics having lost four of five.  After Boston shot 60 percent from the field in the first half, the Bulls were once again at risk of dropping to an inferior opponent.  But that missing defense that's plagued them so many times this year emerged after halftime and brought that shooting down to 49.4 percent, allowing just 17 fourth-quarter points.  That two-game losing streak halted with a 119-103 final.

The defense has uncharacteristically been a thorn in the Bulls' side all year.  They've never finished lower than third in that category during Tom Thibodeau's tenure, but are currently 15th (99.3 PPG).  The offense has certainly improved (102.4 PPG from a league-worst 93.7 last year) thanks in large part to Pau Gasol and the return of Derrick Rose.  But hopefully, the Bulls didn't set out to help the offense at the expense of the defense.

It's a tough schedule coming up for the Bulls too.  The next cupcake opponent will be the Lakers on January 29, so they'll need to show what they did in the second half against Boston for a full 48 over these next two weeks.  If the defense they showed against Washington appears against Atlanta Saturday, it's going to be ugly.  The good news is the Bulls allegedly show a greater effort against better teams, but that needs to happen against everybody if they want higher than the fourth seed in the East.

It would also help if Jimmy Butler is truly out of his earlier shooting slump.  It seems that slump coincided with the Bulls' recent struggles.  But against Boston, he shot 10-of-19 for 22 points.  Hopefully, he's approaching his play during the first couple months of the season so the Bulls truly have that needed third scoring option to go with Rose and Gasol.

The Bulls could also benefit from the eventual return of Mike Dunleavy.  His absence has also seemed to coincide with the team's slump.  He's not a flashy player, but he played in every game during his Bulls tenure until his injury.  Is it possible he's a key cog in the defense and that chemistry is upset with him not being there?

A bigger reason might be Joakim Noah, whose injury troubles took another bad turn with a sprained ankle in the Wizards game.  The Bulls need him for the playoffs, so regardless of what the MRI tells him, I would seriously consider shutting him down for a bit.  If the All-Star break is too long, maybe sit him until the Disney on Ice trip begins.  The one thing Thibodeau can't afford is another injured playoff team or it will be the same story as the last three years.

After the Hawks visit the United Center, the Bulls will have meetings with Cleveland, San Antonio, Dallas, Miami and Golden State in that order.  Even with Dunleavy and Noah out, this could the most crucial stretch of the regular season coming up.  If the Bulls want to show they can compete with the best in the league, this is the time to do it.  Having the defense and Butler show up would definitely help.