At the start of the season, it seemed as if it was a new day for the Chicago Bulls. A remarkable 6-1 start got fans and observers riddled with excitement.
However, reality has set in for the Bulls, who are now 4-12 since the start of the season. On Wednesday, the Chicago Bulls lost their fifth consecutive game to the Brooklyn Nets, 113-103. Going into the game, the Nets had a 4-16 record.
Additionally, the Bulls were left without several players due to injuries. Nevertheless, that is no reason why Chicago should lose, according to veteran center Nikola Vucevic, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic.
After the game, Vucevic acknowledged the reality of injuries, but they needs to fight through them.
“Just got to stick with it, continue to work, continue to believe in what we’re doing,” Vučević said. “Hopefully, when we get some guys back, it’ll help as well. Everybody’s going through injuries. It’s not an excuse.
“We have to figure it out ourselves. Nobody else is gonna do it for us.”
On the same day, Chicago lost its 18-year-old rookie Noa Essengue to season-ending shoulder surgery. He had only played one game on Nov. 22 against the Washington Wizards.
On Friday, the 9-12 Bulls will face the Indiana Pacers, and on Sunday, they will play the Golden State Warriors.
Nikola Vucevic remains the adult in the room.
Among all the players, Vucevic, 35, is the exemplar of maturation amongst a team of younger players. In other words, he has the outlook and mindset that match his age.
His ability to call a spade a spade was evident following the Bulls' 121-120 win over the Wizards on Nov. 22. Even though they were victorious, Vucevic wasn't satisfied that they closed it out in the second half and played poorly in the first against the worst team in the NBA.
Afterward, in the postgame interview, Vucevic was visibly annoyed at Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith for joking around with him. In his way of thinking, there is a right way to win.
