Chicago Bulls: Despite best efforts, Bulls can’t even tank right

Following another impressive victory, the surging Chicago Bulls are now 15-8 since a dreadful 3-20 start to begin the season. While winning games is nice, is doing so now really beneficial for the organization long-term?

The Chicago Bulls have gone off-script. After dismantling the Atlanta Hawks 113-97 on Saturday, the team continues to play competitive basketball despite being doubted by many outside the organization.

This was supposed to be the first season of the “tanking process” for an organization that has been mediocre for quite some time.

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Playing for the future, rather than just the present, was the front office’s main goal. This wasn’t supposed to be like years past when they’d take the moral victory of making the playoffs as an eighth seed.

Starting a bunch of young, inexperienced players on a regular basis would lead to plenty of growing pains and losses over the course of a full season.

And yet, here we are today, watching the Chicago Bulls continue to defy all odds.

They’re winning games in high-fashion scoring affairs. And even when they lose, they’re not getting blown out. Rather, they play their hearts out for 48 minutes.

Also, Fred Hoiberg is finally getting the most out of his players. The young players have bought into Hoiberg’s style of coaching; they’re not afraid to shoot and are playing with extreme confidence.

The “young” Bulls now have something to prove: that the organization doesn’t need to throw away games for the sake of getting a high lottery pick in hopes of finding another franchise player to build around.

Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn, and Zach LaVine are already playing better than originally advertised. The same goes for veterans Nikola Mirotic and Robin Lopez. How long those two stay with the organization remains to be seen, however, given all the recent trade rumors surrounding them.

The Chicago Bulls front office now finds itself in a difficult position.

Does it keep things rolling by standing pat at the trade deadline, further jeopardizing the Bulls’ original pursuit of tanking?

Or does the organization decide to part ways with some of the veteran leadership on the roster? Will the Bulls sacrifice winning in the present for winning later, which is still no guarantee?

Next: Why is Nikola Mirotic still on the Chicago Bulls?

Being around a winning environment will continue to benefit the younger players on the Chicago Bulls. Every additional win gives the whole team confidence that they take on anyone, even if the odds of bringing home a victory are stacked against them.

Building good habits should be the organization’s top priority now, even if that means scratching original plans that already appear to be diminishing faster than anyone expected.