Bold claim: the Bulls’ noise is loud, but the people in charge aren’t listening enough to change the course. Coby White has been telling the bosses what they’re seeing. He playfully dubbed the team the “Cardiac Bulls” to acknowledge a familiar pattern — strong deficits early, a late push, and close games that often end in losses. But White isn’t faulting the current roster construction; he’s diagnosing a mindset. “I don’t think we’ve gone into games acting like we’re supposed to win,” White said in recent weeks. “We hit a storm and we’re trying to figure out how to weather it and stay united. We have to remember this no matter who we’re facing. Every game will be tough. We’re not the kind of team built for blowouts. It’s going to come down to grind-it-out wins most of the time. That’s what we need to focus on.”
Lately, that grind has been elusive. Since November 22, the Bulls are 2-8 in what was billed as a lighter portion of the schedule. Billy Donovan has echoed this same theme to his bosses: the margin of error is slim in every game, and there isn’t a wide talent gap separating them from teams that are clearly rebuilding, like New Orleans, Charlotte, and Brooklyn. The results back that up: a 1-4 record against those three squads this season. And those opponents aren’t exactly tearing it up elsewhere either — the trio is a combined 20-58 as of Tuesday.
The mood at home games is a sober barometer for management. Dark, empty suites send a stark message to ownership: fans aren’t just apathetic; they’re signaling that the money spent isn’t buying improvement on the floor. Empty seats aren’t just a personal disappointment for former executive John Paxson; they’re a warning sign about job security and long-term direction.
On the court, the team’s health is a persistent narrative. Karnisovas has pointed to injuries as a major hurdle, but the calendar isn’t kind: Coby White has fought calf issues all season; Isaac Okoro has recovered from a back problem; Ayo Dosunmu disclosed compound hand injuries and a bone bruise that test his pain tolerance; and rookie Noa Essengue is out for the year with shoulder surgery. The plan to mimic the Pacers’ depth-building — even with the Pacers’ own relatively higher talent, physicality, and defensive chops — looks increasingly like a misfit for Chicago’s current roster reality. The Bulls don’t have an All-Star like Tyrese Haliburton or a proven championship DNA like Pascal Siakam to mask those gaps.
With the chorus of criticism growing louder from inside the organization, the question remains: is any of this being heard? Karnisovas is not slated to address the media publicly until the trade deadline, but the surrounding noise may force a rethink of that timetable. For now, the chatter persists, and the answers seem to be getting louder within the building.
Source: Joe Cowley, Chicago Sun-Times
