Anybody else remember the Bulls’ rousing win in Miami to open the season? What fun that was. But then they lost to the Wizards, got run out of the gym by the Cavaliers and, well, here we are almost a month later with a team that appears to be — at best — just kind of OK.
In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter, we asked respondents to sum up the Bulls’ problems in one of four words: ability, chemistry, effort or health. Plain old ability was the most popular answer, though respondents didn’t stop there.
“They can’t beat the good teams,” @JBIRD1268 commented. “Replay of last year.”
Going further, @sonofrpc predicted the Bulls “won’t contend for a title until the ’30s, at minimum.” Twitter might not make it to the 2030s, but we like the NBA’s chances.
We also asked for your opinions about Bulls coach Billy Donovan as well as your plans — if you have any — to catch the Bulls live this season. On to the polls:
Poll No. 1: Sum up the Bulls’ problems in one word:
Upshot: We hear all the time about the Bulls having “three All-Stars,” but are Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic really that special of a trio? That doesn’t even get into the players — we’re looking at you, Patrick Williams — surrounding them. Is it really about talent most of all? Whatever it is, this group doesn’t play enough defense and clearly doesn’t bring it every night.
Poll No. 2: What’s your take on Bulls coach Billy Donovan?
Upshot: As @JeffreyCanalia astutely points out, “He’s not Phil Jackson, but he’s not anyone from Iowa State, either.” That was a one-two punch to the cheeks of Tim Floyd and Fred Holberg, in case you needed help figuring it out. Donovan — due in part to his national championships as a college coach — gets a lot of respect, but squeezing far less than the maximum from this Bulls group isn’t going to help his rep.
Poll No. 3: How many Bulls games will you go to this season?
Upshot: Got a few hundred bucks stashed between your mattress and box spring? You’ll need every bit of it — and then some — to take your family of four to a game at the United Center. And that’s just once. And that’s to see a Bulls team that appears to be — at best — just kind of OK. Wait, did we say that already?
