One of the most dreaded speeches a head basketball coach has to make is the one where he talks up an obviously overmatched opponent. He knows the other squad will have plenty of trouble hanging with his ball club even on a good night. On a regular night, his troops would trash the opposition worse than the Globetrotters ever did the Washington Generals. Yet he also knows that complacency can ruin the best game plan and that arrogance has led many teams down the road to hell. Luckily for Mike Brown,
he has recent history on his side for his pep talk about the Chicago Bulls.
Those very ballers nearly pulled off the upset against your world champions Knicks last week. Although it came on a second night of a back-to-back and in the not-so-friendly confines of the United Center, the warning should still resonate with the Bockers before they host one of the league’s worst teams. Even if you could argue there isn’t anybody worse than Thiago Splitter’s young group so far this year.
Sitting at the bottom of the league at 1–6, the Bulls have already lost games by 19, 35, and 43 points and sport the worst point differential in the NBA. Yes, even the Sacramento Acuffs have Chicago beat in that regard. While the offense at times actually looks serviceable, the defense has been nothing short of abysmal. They allow 128.8 points per contest, and games against them regularly turn into a shootaround for the opposition. Defending downtown has been especially tough, with teams nailing almost 40 percent of their long-range shots against Chicago. Yes, they’ve faced some stiff competition, but come on.
Bulls come to MSG on a 5-game losing streak
People in the Windy City are fairly relaxed, though. With a new coach and a young star in the fold, 2026–27 was always going to be a rebuilding year, one they sorely needed after what felt like a decade of drowning in mediocrity. Caleb Wilson, the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, has been as good as advertised early on and finally gives Chicago fans something to look forward to. The former UNC highflyer is hardly efficient yet, makes plenty of rookie mistakes, and at times doesn’t really know what this basketball thing is that he’s doing out there. But man, does his game look promising.
Wilson is an ultra-modern combo forward with world-class athleticism and a good, determined head on his shoulders. He plays extremely hard, looks to be enjoying himself a ton out there, and seems to possess a drive you usually find only in the cream of the NBA’s crop. If he adds a few pounds and works on his jumper, it’s easy to see the 20-year-old becoming the centerpiece of whatever the Bulls envision for their future.
The same can’t be said for Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, also two promising young players who have struggled under new head coach Thiago Splitter. Giddey’s scoring has dropped from 17 points per game last season to just nine this year, and he’s shooting south of 37 percent from the field. Rumor has it a wrist injury is hampering the Australian, and it might be a problem all year.
Plenty of young Bulls are struggling
Buzelis’ excuse is that he’s struggled out of the gate before. But even with a world of athletic talent and plenty of promise, he sometimes looks like one of those players who will never really put it all together. It’s still way too early to give up on a 22-year-old as gifted as the former G League Ignite hooper. At some point, though, those gifts have to show up night in and night out on the NBA hardwood, well after the layup line.
Chicago’s most accomplished veteran, Norman Powell, should help in that regard, but how much he can do is debatable. He probably hasn’t even unpacked his suitcase yet, and he’ll most likely be shipped out to a wannabe contender by the trade deadline. Is someone like that really going to change your culture? Powell has played very good ball for years, but can he be the guy who turns things around in Chicago? Your guess is as good as mine.
Even if Powell is exactly the vet presence Bulls ownership envisions, Splitter is still fighting an uphill battle. The roster is extremely young and short on inside brawn (sorry, Stix Smith, Zach Collins, and Nic “I can’t lose to the Knicks” Claxton), reliable outside shooting, and any sort of cohesiveness. The losses should pile up pretty quickly. The Knicks should help their former rivals along and get back to .500 in this one. Anything else would be unacceptable.
But I’m sure Mike Brown will remind his team of that in his pregame speech.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks (3-4) vs Chicago Bulls (1-6)
Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, NYC
TV: MSG
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