The Bulls dropped to 27-26 following their road loss to the Cavaliers. Here are three observations:
The defense is a shell of itself
That’s eight straight opponents who have scored 100 or more points against the Bulls. The Cavaliers shot 51.2 percent in the second half and pulled away with a run right after halftime.
The closeouts and second efforts that used to define this team are mostly gone. The rebounding has been poor, with five straight opponents winning that battle. Even earlier this season, the Bulls guarded more efficiently and led the league in opponents’ field-goal percentage. Those days are gone.
Doug McDermott had little impact
The second-year forward didn’t exit the All-Star break with the same confidence and shotmaking with which he entered it. McDermott had scored in double figures in four of his previous five games entering the break, getting double-digit shot attempts in all four.
McDermott missed five of six attempts against the Cavaliers and failed to record an assist with one rebound. If the Bulls aren’t making a pointed effort to get McDermott shots, his impact is invisible.
Derrick Rose attacked aggressively
Beyond his game-high 28 points in 30 minutes, Rose took the right shots, routinely split double-teams to get into the lane and shot over 50 percent. With Jimmy Butler sidelined into March with his strained left knee, Rose will have to continue shouldering the load offensively along with Pau Gasol.
Rose also grabbed seven rebounds, indicative of his activity and aggressive play.
