NBA Playoffs 2016: Why Chicago Bulls will make postseason

3. Up the defensive effort

If there’s one area that the Bulls will have to improve if they’re going to make the playoffs, it’s their defensive effort. The Bulls haven’t been very good lately on defense and that could be attributed to a wide variety of variables, including injuries and effort.

It’s one thing to call up a defensive set during a timeout on the sidelines, but it’s another for a team to go out there and truly make an effort on both ends of the floor.

Perhaps it’s because the Bulls are without defensive anchor Joakim Noah, but they’re letting a lot of teams inside and points are being racked up against them.

For years, the Bulls would be one of those teams that people thought of when the word defense would come up. They prided themselves on playing a physical style of basketball and there were plenty of teams that couldn’t match them because of their physical style.

Now, teams are getting free runs at the rim and the Bulls are allowing some high scoring games from other teams. It’s not easy playing defense when three key players are not playing, but it’s also an effort thing and that’s something that the team could improve.

Next: 2. Get Pau Gasol the ball early