The Chicago Bulls are in the middle of a tough run right now and with the trade deadline coming up, the team may look at names like Brook Lopez, Greg Monroe, Lance Stephenson, Roy Hibbert, Gerald Green and David West as potential additions, as Derrick Rose is getting frustrated with the way the team is playing and they have now lost six of eight after the blowout defeat to the Cavaliers.
Rose made his feelings known to reporters after the game against Cleveland, saying that no one is on the same page right now and there are issues with communication. According to ESPN.com, the Bulls have been on a tough run lately, winning just two of the past eight games and this comes after the team won 13 of 15 earlier in the season. Rose said that the team needs to play with more consistency and that the streakiness has been an issue along with the communicating problems on the court. The Bulls offense has been playing better than last season, but the defense has been an issue and according to ESPN.com, the stats show it.
According to ESPN.com, the team has fallen drastically in the rankings on defense compared to last season, as they are ranked 25th or worse in the major categories. Last season the team ranked first in points allowed per game and now they are 16th and in the efficiency category, the team has dropped from 10th last season all the way to 25th in the league. The Bulls are ranked 26th in both defensive field goal percentage and defensive rebound percentage, another drop from fifth and 17th last season to near the bottom of the league this year.
ESPN notes that the team is just 5-6 since the calendar turned to 2015 and in the first part of the season, the Bulls were 22-10. While the team hasn't been actively looking for trades at the deadline, the Bulls could get into the mix with this latest streak and after the Cavs made moves of their own. The Bulls have gone just 2-6 during a recent stretch and while they remain in first place in the central division, they know that the Cavaliers are improving. The Cavs added Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and JR Smith after struggling on defense for most of the season and now they have time for a turnaround.
Making things tough right now for the Bulls is the fact that the team is about to head out on a west coast trip and they have strong teams coming up. After playing the Spurs and Mavs this week, the team hosts the Miami Heat and then has a west coast trip next week against the Warriors. Pau Gasol has played well this season and so has Jimmy Butler, but the team may need help behind Taj Gibson and that makes Greg Monroe, Lance Stephenson, Brook Lopez, Roy Hibbert and Gerald Green potential options.
Monroe has been targeted by the Lakers, while Stephenson is being shopped this season by the Hornets. Lopez has been shopped by the Nets as they retool, while the Pacers have been bad and could trade Hibbert eventually. The Bulls likely will sit tight, but if they continue to slump, changes could come.
