It’s been a long time since Chicago basketball felt this good.

The United Center hasn’t buzzed like this in years, and it’s not because of a flashy superstar, a high-profile signing, or a sudden scoring explosion. It’s because the Bulls – yes, these Bulls – are finally playing like a team again.

Through the first seven games of the 2025-26 NBA season, the severely underrated Chicago Bulls have stormed out to a 6–1 record, sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. For a franchise that has spent much of the past decade searching for identity and direction, this early surge represents something far more meaningful than wins and losses.

It’s about rediscovering what Chicago basketball used to stand for: toughness, selflessness, and unity.

A new identity, finally defined

For years, the Bulls’ offense revolved around Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan – two elite scorers whose individual brilliance often overshadowed the collective. They were both incredible in isolation, capable of creating something out of nothing, but their styles never fully meshed with what head coach Billy Donovan envisioned.

This season, the picture looks entirely different. Without LaVine and DeRozan, Donovan has reshaped the Bulls into a system-driven, motion-heavy team that thrives on movement, cutting, and passing. There’s no ball-dominant alpha demanding touches. Instead, every possession feels deliberate, purposeful – a shared effort rather than a solo performance.

The Bulls are just playing basketball the right way, they are screening, cutting, and trusting each other. Everyone touches the ball, and everyone matters.

The Bulls may not have a top-tier offensive engine or a dominant space creator, but they’ve replaced that with balance, energy, and discipline. The result is a brand of basketball that is winning, and one that is repeatable, although it remains to be seen if it is sustainable to get them to the playoffs.

The key players behind the surge: Nikola Vucevic and Josh Giddey

At the heart of it all is Nikola Vucevic, the steadying veteran whose game has aged like fine wine.

At 35, Vucevic isn’t just surviving in today’s pace-and-space NBA, he’s thriving. He’s averaging near a double-double once again, but it’s his leadership that’s had the bigger impact. He anchors Chicago’s offense with smart positioning and inside-out passing as well as his elite floor spacing, while providing an example for the team’s younger players about consistency and professionalism.

If Vucevic is the team’s heart, Josh Giddey has become its brain.

After a tense summer restricted free agency saga, Giddey returned to Chicago with something to prove – and it shows. Fresh off signing a long-term deal, he’s playing with an assertiveness and confidence that eluded him in previous seasons. Giddey has found his groove and his playmaking has been elite, threading passes and elevating the play of everyone around him.

More importantly, Giddey has found the balance between facilitating and attacking. His improved scoring aggression has kept defenses honest, opening up cutting lanes and rhythm shots for teammates. Early on, he’s looking every bit like an All-Star – and the Bulls are reaping the benefits.

The potential of Matas Buzelis and the rise of Ayo Dosunmu

While Vucevic and Giddey set the tone, the Bulls’ most exciting storyline might be the emergence of Matas Buzelis.

The hometown kid – born in Chicago and drafted by his city – is coming into his own. Buzelis has been given the green light to learn, make mistakes, and grow, a luxury few rookies receive in a major market. His length, shooting touch, and versatility have made him a seamless fit in Donovan’s system, and his elite athleticism and rim pressure allows him to have a consistent scoring bag.

For a franchise that’s long searched for its next cornerstone, Buzelis represents hope – the possibility of a homegrown star who could one day carry the torch for the next great Bulls era.

Speaking of hometown pride, Ayo Dosunmu continues to be one of Chicago’s unsung heroes.

Dosunmu, another Illinois native, has blossomed into one of the league’s best 3-and-D guards. But this season, Donovan has asked for more – and Dosunmu has delivered. He’s taking on bigger offensive responsibilities while still anchoring the perimeter defense. His energy, versatility, and unselfishness epitomize the Bulls’ identity: no ego, just effort.

Depth, Balance, and Belief

Even with Coby White sidelined, the Bulls’ depth has been a revelation. Role players like Isaac Okoro, Tre Jones, Patrick Williams, Kevin Huerter, and Jalen Smith have each embraced their roles with clarity and confidence.

Okoro brings defensive tenacity. Jones provides steadiness at the point. Williams has settled into a reliable two-way rhythm. Huerter adds spacing and shooting, while Smith has given valuable minutes as a stretch big. None of them are stars – but together, they’ve formed a cohesive, balanced rotation that works alongside their core.

– – –

The city of Chicago has been waiting for a team to believe in again. Since the days of Derrick Rose’s MVP run and Jimmy Butler’s hope, the Bulls have cycled through rebuilds, retools, and false starts – flashes of potential that never quite materialized.

But this group is a fresh start. This team, defined by their collective purpose, embodies the city’s blue-collar spirit. They may not have a global superstar yet, but they have something that’s been missing for far too long: chemistry, identity, and belief.

Chicago knows greatness when it sees it. After all, it’s the home of Michael Jordan – the standard by which all Bulls teams are measured. But even if this group isn’t chasing banners just yet, they’re chasing something just as important: respect, relevance, and revival.

For the first time in years, Bulls basketball matters again. And it’s not because of who’s scoring the most points – it’s because they’re doing it together.