Invinci-Bull? Unimagin-a-Bull? Respect-a-Bull? This young Chicago Bulls team is doing the Unthink-a-Bull.

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG! ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!

Hello? 911? Yes, I’d like to report an emergency. There is a group of WILD BULLS stampeding through the National Basketball Association at the moment. Now, I started this article the morning after the Chicago Bulls beat the Philadelphia 76ers in an exhilarating come-from-behind win in the final seconds, on a game-winning shot by Nikola Vučević.

But since then, the Bulls have lost their last two games to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers — bringing their record to 6–3. While some fans are already touting that the Bulls have been “brought back to reality” and other pessimistic claims, I am here to tell you that the sky is not falling, and if it is, then at least the view will be that of a fun one — if you are watching from inside the Madhouse on Madison.

The Eye Test

At Bulls Confidential, we seek to bring you elite journalism and reporting, and usually, doing that entails providing you with the stats and the FACTS. But in this article, I would like to humbly share my opinion on this team and a few reasons why I think the Bulls are en route to fielding one of their most competitive, engaging, and entertaining teams in recent memory.

Aside from Josh Giddey playing like an absolute madman (Aussie Aussie Aussie!), it’s the effort from this entire young Chicago Bulls team that has been absolutely magnificent to watch. It’s not just on the court; there's been a complete mindset shift within the organization, and the players not only seem bought in— but fired up.

It has been amazing to see the shift in attitude from a player like Patrick Williams. We all know the story with Williams. If you click that nicely placed hyperlink, you can even see for yourself the amount of different nicknames the fanbase has given Patrick over the years, all symbolizing the various phases and varying expectations placed on the fifth year forward throughout his tenure here. It’s been the complete opposite of smooth sailing for Williams, but amidst numerous season-derailing injuries, the biggest obstacle for Patrick always seemed to be what was between his ears.

Many Bulls fans, myself included, have been frustrated with Williams for years because of his tendency to be almost TOO unselfish. Whether it was him constantly passing up wide-open looks from the field, seeming to nearly be asleep out there, or just straight up being invisible and a non-factor on the court, Williams would leave a lot to be desired on a nightly basis. But that was the problem — when he DID flash those traits that got him picked fourth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, it would leave fans puzzled as to why you wouldn’t get that production out of him more consistently.

Fast forward to NOW, and our young forward looks like a man reborn out there. In the clip posted above, you can even hear Bulls commentators Stacey King & Adam Amin mention how Williams is typically stoic; they were surprised to see him show some emotion and grit in that moment. It has not been a fluke!

The boxscore doesn’t show the whole picture, and in this instance, it doesn’t even sniff the significance of the difference in William’s presence on the court so far this season.

Williams has been battling down low in the paint, FIGHTING for rebounds on both ends of the court. He has been vocal and a calming and stabilizing presence when things have seemed to go astray at times during this young season. He is a lot more decisive— attacking close-outs, shooting instantly when the ball is kicked to him, or instead, swinging the rock immediately — showing his playmaking prowess by frequently making the smart extra-pass.

To add onto that, Williams is doing all of those things while coming off the bench. Going into the season, the fanbase was divided on who would be the starting forwards of this team after the Bulls traded for Patrick’s fellow fifth-year forward, Isaac Okoro. Our very own star — ZenMasterWalt, actually wrote about the dilemma right here.

Many fans thought that Williams should be the starter, not because of his skill, but because of his pricetag. But in what seems to be a common theme with this young team (and with this article, apparently), Patrick Williams and this entire young squad have shown that it’s deeper than the numbers, when you’re deeper by the numbers.

The entire bench of this Chicago Bulls team is what has been the storyline this season. Players like Jalen Smith, Ayo Dosunmu, Patrick Williams, and Kevin Huerter are all players who could start, or who HAVE been starters on other teams, but here — it’s not about who starts or finishes; it’s about who’s READY to contribute at any given moment.

The typical prideful ego that you see amongst teams composed of a bunch of successful, highly competitive, professional athletes is replaced by a wolf pack mentality here.

There is no entitlement on this team; there are instead a bunch of hungry bloodhounds with a long list of critiques and big chips on their shoulders. In my Discord server, some of us have said that the beloved “Bench Mob” tag feels outdated, and doesn’t do this young unit justice (Shoutout to my guy, Kurtz). I offered that we refer to the young bench as the “Bull Horns” or the “Bloodhounds”. “Mess with the Bulls (starters), you get the Horns (bench)”.

Or simply, “release the Hounds” (referring to the bench unit). …. ANYWAY, that’s a work in progress — much like this young Chicago Bulls team, and I for one am ecstatic to watch how this season continues to play out, and how this young team handles adversity and grows.

The Bulls have been making these waves all without star guard, Coby White and big, Zach Collins. Once the aforementioned players return, this team should only continue to become even MORE exciting —win or lose. I don’t know about you, Bulls Nation — but I’m excited.

See you soon, and See Red.

The ‘Inspiri-Bulls?’ was originally published in Chicago Bulls Confidential...

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