Three takeaways from the Chicago Bulls' first month of the 2022/23 NBA season

The Bulls are at 6-9 so far this season. Here’s how they got there.

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Despite playing through one of the toughest schedules to start the season, everyone thought the Chicago Bulls would be better. Going into tonight's matchup against the Orlando Magic, the Bulls sit 12th in the East with a 6-9 record. They've had some very impressive wins this season, including a 116-18 victory over the Miami Heat on opening night and victories over Eastern Conference contenders Boston and Brooklyn.

The low points, though, have overshadowed the highs. 

The Bulls are on a three-game losing streak, losing the last two by double-digits. Through 15 games, the Bulls have already shown inconsistencies with their play, which they'll need to fix if they want to make a run this season.

Here are three takeaways from the Bulls' first month of the season.

Time to end the Patrick Williams experiment?

The third season is often when young players finally put it together. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case for Patrick Williams.

The Bulls' fourth overall pick averages only 9.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, both well below expectations for a lottery pick. While it's too early to give up on Williams completely, it may be time to send him to the bench and place either Javonte Green or Derrick Jones, Jr. into the starting lineup.

Billy Donovan indicated a potential lineup change as early as seven games into the Bulls season. With Patrick Williams listed as questionable for tonight's game against the Magic, the shakeup at the PF position might be inevitable.

DeRozan needs to take charge

With Lonzo Ball out indefinitely and fellow All-Star wingman Zach LaVine missing several games early in the season to manage his recently-repaired knee, DeMar DeRozan has carried much of the load for the Bulls. Unfortunately, it hasn't been enough to get them back in the win column. 

Coming off his career year, DeRozan's numbers are down to start the season -- he's averaging 24.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists on 52.3 % from the floor. And while the 5x All-Star did have some incredible performances (46 points against the Boston Celtics), he hasn't enjoyed the same level of consistency; something that the Bulls need desperately as they continue to deal with injuries.

Egregious lack of shooting

The Bulls' glaring lack of three-point shooters cannot be ignored. With Ball and Coby White on the mend, the only other credible shooters on the roster are veteran Goran Dragic and LaVine. 

As a result, they rank 27th in three-pointers made per game at 10.4 and 28th in three-point attempts at 29.

The Bulls need someone who can knock down threes and spread the floor for LaVine and DeRozan. And while getting Lonzo back should help them in that department, the organization might need to look to improve their long-range shooting via the trade market. 

Otherwise, the losses might continue to pile up, and that's not what everyone expected from the Bulls going into the season.