With 8:33 left in the second quarter, Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu got tangled up with Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio after the whistle. After a brief exchange of words, Dosunmu was slapped with a technical foul.
Though it was minor in the grand scheme of things, after the Bulls’ 40-point loss Tuesday, it’s important that they don’t roll over with 26 games left.
In their 128-110 loss Wednesday, the Bulls competed better but eventually succumbed to Detroit’s physical play. The Bulls will enter the All-Star break on a four-game losing streak.
The Bulls were outscored by 58 points over two games by the Pistons, an ascending team with a young star in Cade Cunningham. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has instilled toughness and resiliency in a team that has overachieved.
After the quick two-game series, the teams are going in opposite directions. The Pistons have an identity.
Bulls vice president Arturas Karnisovas said after the trade deadline that ”the next 30 games will determine if we will be in the play-in tournament and playoffs.”
But the Bulls’ play might leave them on the outside looking in.
They get a quick reprieve because of the All-Star break. But once they return, it’s gut-check time for the players after some dispiriting losses
“When we come back, we got to each look ourselves in the mirror like, ‘What can we do better?'” Coby White said. “How can we come back with a different mindset,? The season’s filled with ups and downs. But with the break, just enjoy time with family and friends; use it as a reset button.”
But making the playoffs would be a Band-Aid on an open wound if the Bulls don’t figure out their identity, and it starts defensively.
Over the last two weeks, the Bulls have the fourth-worst defense in the NBA with a 124.6 rating, according to Cleaning the Glass. Roster construction always was going to lead to defensive problems. The Bulls don’t have the size and athleticism to match up with most teams. But one area the Bulls need to improve on is help defense.
“The bottom line is we have got to, collectively as a group, do a much, much better job helping each other,” coach Billy Donovan said before the game. “We’ve got to be better at plugging gaps and helping one another.”
Dosunmu scored 23 points off a bevy of drives to the basket. He also agreed with Donovan.
“We just have to do a better job of staying connected, helping each other on both ends of the court,” Dosunmu said. “Whether it’s running to the corner, whether it’s boxing out, whether it’s running the play to allow someone else to be special.”
The Pistons have embraced their hard-nosed defensive mentality and selflessness. Bickerstaff said the Pistons start every practice going over their defensive tendencies and tactics. It was one of his goals when he took over the team in the summer, and the results have been rewarding. The Pistons are 11th in defensive rating (113.8) and have already exceeded last season’s win total.
“We don’t take a break from [defense],” Bickerstaff said. “We understand how important defense is and how it translates to winning. So they’ve had to buy into it and be willing to do some difficult things.”
The Pistons never relent on their defensive principles, going over them constantly in practice. The Pistons have an identity. The Bulls are searching for theirs.