Analyst Will Perdue suspects something is going on with the Chicago Bulls behind the scenes

Perdue points to internal disruption as the reason for the Bulls' slow start

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The Chicago Bulls are in a downward spiral right now. Losers of five of their last six games, they have now dropped to 6-9. And while the usual culprits are there — subpar three-point shooting, minimal rim protection, etc. — Bulls analyst Will Perdue believes there might be something else at play.

Something is going on

Perdue knows a thing or two about a team's dynamics. After all, he spent 13 seasons in the NBA, including eight with the Bulls. He won four titles — three as a backup center for Michael Jordan's teams and one more with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999. So, when he says something is going on with this current crop of Bulls, we should probably listen. And while he's not quite sure what it is, Perdue suspects something is happening behind the scenes with this year's team.

"Something's going on here..." 😕 pic.twitter.com/5IdBONbUIR

— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) November 17, 2022

"Something's going on here. Because you can't have the days off and play like you did against Denver. Then say all the things you say after the Denver game, talking about how you're not worried and how everything's gonna be okay," said Perdue after the Bulls lost to the New Orleans Pelicans in another rout, 124-110.

"And then say all the right things and then, have this game. You know, I found a way to sneak through Vanderbilt. But I know two plus two is four, not five. And something's not adding up here," he added.

Who will step up to the plate

As constructed, the Bulls have plenty of mild-mannered players. Guys like Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and DeMar DeRozan are all relatively quiet — not the kinds of guys who will light a fire under their teammates. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes you wonder who will step up and push this team to be great, not mediocre as they currently are.

"As you just pointed out, who is the agitator, the aggravator, the disrupter on this team? You know, we hear all the stories about how nice these guys are and how much they get along. That's great. I love that fact. But who's the guy in the locker room right now, that is in guys' faces, reminding them that this is not good enough? This is not acceptable," Perdue said.

.@Will_Perdue32 asks an important question about the Bulls' locker room pic.twitter.com/OoxXHlQA3Y

— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) November 17, 2022

"I understand it's early, but we're already settling into a trend that we dealt with last year. And this year was supposed to be different," he added.