The Chicago Bulls have come out of the first few games of the 2025-26 season with a pristine 5-1 record, previously 5-0. The last time the Chicago Bulls started the season with a clean 5-0 record was 1996-97, when the Michael Jordan led team went on to win 69 games, securing Chicago’s second title in a three-peat series of NBA championship wins from 1995 to 1998. Under new head coach Billy Donovan, the Bulls have displayed a fresh offensive rhythm and cohesion, showing both promise and production in terms of scoring.
Donovan’s offensive style emphasizes attacking the rim, increasing ball movement, and prioritizing open-look shots has paid off for the team fairly early in the year. After ranking near the bottom of the league in drives and free-throw attempts last year, the Bulls have shown immense improvement by developing more aggressive and unselfish play offensively. Out of the thirty teams in the NBA the Chicago Bulls rank fifth currently in their offensive rating at 120.4 points per 100 possessions. Additionally, their defense allows only 111.8 points, sitting among the top six teams in the NBA and giving them a +8.6 net rating.
Another major contributor to the Bulls’ early success comes from the integration of new players. The offseason addition of Josh Giddey has given Chicago a consistent playmaker that averages a near double double. In combination with rookie Matas Buzelis’ youth and versatility as well as veteran experience in Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, the team looks more complete, balanced, and deep.
A prime example of the Bulls offensive chemistry is their 128-123 win over the Atlanta Hawks in which eight different Chicago players scored in double figures, highlighting their depth. The Bulls 126-113 win over the Sacramento Kings was also forefronted by their effective passing, clean ball movement, and strong bench production.
Although proving themselves as a promising team in the upcoming season, skeptics have attributed their early success to a relatively ‘light’ early schedule combined with opponents shooting poorly from the 3-point line, a common struggle at the beginning of the season. Nonetheless, after finishing with a losing 39-49 record last season, the Chicago Bulls sharp turnaround is a promising sign. If they are able to continue to improve their team chemistry and emphasize their offensive flow while maintaining their aggressive level of play, the Bulls could find themselves in deeper rounds of the playoffs come April.