Chicago Bulls Still Aren’t Contenders But They’re Finally Fun Again

The Chicago Bulls have been a play-in staple the last few years. From a lack of free agency moves, insignificant trades, and hit-and-miss draft picks, it doesn’t feel like the Bulls are doing a ton to change their image. Jerry Reinsdorf is one of the cheapest owners in sports, and as long as the Bulls continue to fill the United Center, I’m not sure a lot will change.

Fortunately, things have been a little better in Chicago this season. I don’t blame you if you haven’t kept up with the Bulls. They’re the 9 seed in a bad Eastern Conference, and their roster feels quite poorly constructed. They’ve got a plethora of guards to choose from, but lack size at both the forward and center positions.

Speaking of undersized players, the Bulls have recently added the shortest player in the NBA to their rotation due to injuries. Japanese sensation Yuki Kawamura stands at only 5’8” but is one of the most fun players to watch in the league. Had been in the G-League most of this season, but made his mark in his first piece of game action in 2026.

Yuki was hitting jumpers, causing havoc, and becoming the smallest player in NBA history to win a jump ball. I think he’s a perfectly symbozlies everything that is fun about the Bulls this year.

When he’s been healthy, Coby White continues to be one of the most underrated guards. When he’s been able to run the point for the Bulls, they’ve been one of the most efficient offenses around. When White is playing, the Bulls have a +7.8 plus/minus rating, an 88th-percentile points-per-possession rating, a 97th-percentile eFG%, and a 90th-percentile TOV%. Simply put, the Bulls are an elite offense when Coby White is active.

Matas Buzelis has also taken a leap forward offensively for the Bulls this season. Everyone knew Buzelis was going to be a bit of a project when Chicago drafted him last season. Fortunately, he’s already ahead of schedule on offensive development this year. He’s nearly doubled his points per-game, while becoming even more efficient from the field.

Nobody had Buzelis as much of a shooting threat while playing for the G-League Ignite. He shot just 26% from deep in his two years with the Ignite, but now he is shooting nearly 37% from deep on over 5 attempts a night. All of this while still delivering as promised on the defensive side of things.

The Bulls also have players like Josh Giddey and Ayo Dosunmu, who have had to increase their offensive roles and have seen comparable increases in production. Dosunmu becoming a 45% threat from beyond the arc has given the Bulls so much more to work with. He’s either increased his trade value or made other guards on the team that much more expendable.

Chicago won’t be playing for a title this year, but they’ve put together a core that is one of the most fun to watch as a fan of the league. Hopefully, they can add a true star to this core because they have a lot of young guys who thrive as solid role players.