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Bulls' Jimmy Butler: 'It's Not OK To Lose The Way We Have Been'

By Cody Westerlund--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- There are certainly no shortage of defensive problems for the reeling Bulls as they've allowed at least 100 points in 15 consecutive games for the first time in three decades.

They struggle mightily to defend the pick-and-roll, the break-and-butter offensive attack of today's game. Their defensive rotations lack consistency. Their younger players too often make the learning curve look as steep as a mountain. When the Bulls do force missed shots -- which they do with regularity, with the fourth-best field-goal percentage defense in the league -- they often fail to finish possessions, allowing the most offensive rebounds to foes in the NBA.

Amid all that, it's still worth point out where those troubles begin.

Lately, that would be at the beginning of most possessions.

The Bulls' porous defense has been put in a chaotic scramble mode recently because of its awful effort to stop a foe's transition game. In a 129-111 loss to a typically plodding Miami team on Tuesday, Chicago allowed 17 fast-break points. In a 102-89 loss at Orlando on Wednesday, Chicago allowed 19 fast-break points. For the season, the Bulls allow the eighth-most fast-break points to foes at 14.0 per game, per teamrankings.com.

It's primarily because of a lack of effort and communication, and it all has coach Fred Hoiberg's attention.

"You get sick of it, you see guys dunking the ball time after time like what happened the other night in Orlando," Hoiberg said. "You gotta say enough's enough. You gotta load the paint and kick out."

The singular statistic of "fast-break points allowed" doesn't reflect the entire problem. Even when the Bulls stop an initial attack, they're too often failing to slide into the proper spots to stop a secondary break and recover to the man they should be guarding. It's led to more easy buckets or mismatches for opponents to take advantage of later in the shot clock.

At practice Friday, transition defense was a primary focus for the Bulls, who will have a big challenge in that regard as James Harden and the Rockets visit the United Center on Saturday. Houston is third in the league with 17.7 fast-break points per game.

"It starts in transition," Hoiberg said. "We got to do a good job of getting back and trying to slow them down and not giving them what they want, which is rim twos and uncontested threes.

"Stopping the ball and protecting the paint. Getting our bigs back and releasing guards from the basket."

The Bulls have lost four straight to fall to 30-30, with this marking the latest in a season they've been .500 since 2009-'10. The hope is to get forward Taj Gibson (right hamstring) and All-Star wing and top perimeter defender Jimmy Butler (left knee) back Saturday, but the status of both is still uncertain until they see how they feel Saturday.

While admitting Butler can't fix all the problems, Hoiberg maintained his return would make a big difference. Butler's been sidelined since Feb. 5 with a left knee strain. In the 11 games he's missed, the Bulls have gone 3-8 and, as Hoiberg readily admitted, played without pride too often.

"Very frustrating," Butler said. "But I don't think we've been playing defense all year. I just think we just outscore opponents a lot of the times. We're a talented group of guys but not that talented to outscore everybody every night. Obviously we've got to guard. We've been saying that all year. I know you guys have heard it a million times. Hopefully, I can help when I get back.

"At times, guys play hard. I think at times we don't play hard."

Illustrating how far south it's gone in his absence, Butler was asked if the performance of the Bulls has been embarrassing. He didn't go quite that far.

"Embarrassed? No," Butler said. "I love this team. I fight for this team. I just think that it's disappointing for myself, for our organization, our fans that we haven't brought the fight every night. It's OK to lose, but it's not OK to lose the way we have been."

Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for CBSChicago.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.

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