Chicago snows the tank job
Many things I seek to tell my subscribers, things which deliver me joy and spark my further interest, but none of to lead, man, none of them bleed.
Spent all Sunday looking for something with red on its horns, something to top the Monday column so the Orlando Magic didn't have to, so I could shove the Atlanta Hawks down to the bottom of this email. Southeast Division is terrible for SEO, y'know.
The problem is I don't do that. Can't write for hits when the classics simply spiral out of me. Couldn't manufacture these things, they gotta spring from something real, something true, two Bulls losses in consecutive cold nights against decades-long rivals, defeats hitting harder than expected hours before a self-imposed deadline. Chicago's nine-game losing streak making zero dent in the tank standings because everyone began tanking months before the Bulls even found a fucking helmet.
Ah, geez, we're whining about the Bulls again, aren't we? Well, as expected, Chicago is bad at rebuilding. Nine losses in a row moved the team from the tenth-worst in the NBA to No. 9 in lottery position, Chicago has little shot of falling to No. 8. Marvelous work, if No. 10 sticks at No. 10 but No. 9's odds jump into the top-four of the draft, a bump with a 20-percent chance (another shit season, if the 80 percent-part bubbles up).
There's always a parenthesis (surrounding the plan). The focus of the club's rebuilding project is (inarguably) Josh Giddey. Giddey is the 23-year old whom Chicago dealt its best asset for (Alex Caruso). He leads the team's offense (when healthy, and with middling results at best), Josh is the man making the most on the team (entering the season), the player with the largest and longest contract on the Bulls (through 2029), and he is not good. And it is not working (and it was never going to). Josh is strong at standing upright but bad at moving (in a basketball-sense).
Giddey gave the hated Knicks a whole six points and six assists in a loss on Sunday, 2-10 from the floor. Scored 27 points on Saturday, missed six of seven attempts from the floor last Thursday. Josh is unique and not great but incorrectly given the responsibility of a great, orthodox, player.
Chicago similarly guarantees Patrick Williams' contract through 2029 and have we seen Patrick Williams lately? Former top-four NBA draft pick, first year of a four-year, $90 million extension? Tall enough to see where this is going, not exactly encouraged enough to do anything about it?
If you have seen Patrick, this sad song is for you, the Bulls fan, who watched Williams peel "warmups" off for 15 minutes in Chicago's loss to the best team in the NBA (Detroit) on Saturday. Quarter of an hour and one rebound, six points, -10, can't outplay Isaac Okoro or Jalen Smith or Guerschon Yabusele for starter's minutes. Patrick Williams led the team in minutes off the bench on Sunday, dished eight assists, I saw three. Seven points and three rebounds on average in 2025-26, uninspiring bench production from Williams (25 in August), the lowest marks of his career.
Collin Sexton was happy in Charlotte, he was ebullient even in Utah and Cleveland while losing games. Chicago may have broken him, ended it, he's worked 42 minutes in three games (17 shots, 21 points), only emotion visible is extreme annoyance.
Anfernee Simons is out with a sprained wrist. Further testing is due, it may be a situation where he undergoes season-ending surgery on a severe injury or he could have a mildly sore wrist on his non-shooting hand which will be excuse enough for us to watch Matas Buzelis forced to play at guard for the rest of the season.
This is not what I wanted to talk about. Pitchers and catchers reported. Folks may not like baseball but they sure as spitfire enjoy baseball coming around, baseball means warm weather and you (and those chirping birds) are likely under cold weather at the moment. Spring means the NBA playoffs, with 16 teams in it, a dozen states plus Ontario in our current top 16. When Michael McDonald was asked to fly to New York (and not drive in from the Valley) for the 'Royal Scam' sessions this time in 1976, the NBA had 18 total teams in it.
The NBA puts 16 teams in its playoffs, tries to tell you there are 20 in there, and the Bulls never count. The Bulls print it but don't spend it, play by odd and inflexible rules only they understand. I don't mind one person owning every newspaper plus radio and TV station in town, all the phone and internet companies all at once if they can afford it, but it should illegal to own two sports teams in the same city.
