2018 Tanking Rankings: Memphis Grizzlies and NBA’s Best of the Worst

5. Chicago Bulls

The 2017-18 season got off to the start just about everyone expected in Chicago: Malaise about ownership and the Jimmy Butler trade lingered. Bobby Portis broke Nikola Mirotic’s face in half. Da Bulls won three of their first 23 games.

But then everything changed with a seven game win-streak that set Chicago back light years in the tanking race: A now-healthy Mirotic was suddenly Klay Thompson. Lauri Markkanen was far more NBA-ready than expected. Some guy named David Nwaba was providing valuable rotation minutes.

That brief seven-game window was literally the difference. Outside that anomaly, Chicago has won 27 percent of its games this year. Maintaining that clip instead of the win streak, the Bulls would be tied with Memphis for the NBA’s second-worst record. Instead they sit tied for sixth; a difference of 5.3 percent vs 19.9 percent at nabbing the top pick.

There are definite signs of encouragement to take from what was supposed to be a desolate season for Chicago. But every time the Bulls square off against DeAndre Ayton or Marvin Bagley, they’re going to be reminded of what the ultimate goal was.