The Bulls' inconsistent play continues as we approach the All Star Weekend, however one problem has been particularly persistent throughout the season: turnovers.
In the past ten games, the Bulls have gone 3-7. During that span, they've committed 145 turnovers, while their opponents have only coughed up the ball 98 times. But it's not the vast turnover margin that's most troubling, it's how they're giving up possessions.
|
‘15 - ‘16 |
‘14 - ‘15 |
|
|
Unforced TO % |
52.3 |
48.1 |
|
Cut Efficiency |
39.7 |
62.6 |
This season Fred Hoiberg has revamped the offense, increasing the pace and allowing the players to flow freely. At times this leads to some easy baskets, but pushing the pace can also lead to unforced errors.
According to Vantage Sports, over half of the Bulls' turnovers this season have come without their opponents making a major play on the ball. That's a significant jump from last season's 48 percent mark. These unforced errors are the biggest momentum killers, as their opponents essentially get a free possession.
However not all the blame lays on the shoulders of the ball carriers. In fact, we can explain a lot of these turnovers by looking at the Bulls' Cut Efficiency Rate.
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NBA
This metric shows what percentage of cuts result in an opportunity for an open pass. Last year, the Bulls moved well without the ball and got open for a pass over 60 percent of the time, according to Vantage Sports. This year however, that number has dipped below 40 percent. This places a burden on the ball carrier as he has to either force a pass into good coverage, or make an inadvisable play like driving into several defenders.
With a long road trip on the horizon, the Bulls will have to clean up these unforced turnovers and truly cherish every possession. If not, the Bulls may find themselves slipping out of the playoff picture in the tightly contested Eastern Conference.