3 Chicago Bulls most to blame for 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament disaster vs. Heat

The Chicago Bulls had just finished the 2024-25 season on a hot streak, clinching a spot in the Play-In Tournament for the third straight year. Although the morale was great heading into the do-or-die game against the Miami Heat, the Bulls were ambushed by the 10th-seeded Heat, 109-90, as they saw their playoff hopes end by a familiar foe before it could even start.

Chicago's hot streak came at the worst possible time, given that they ended the season with a three-game winning streak. They also had a 3-0 record over the Heat. But even against a Miami squad without Jimmy Butler, it was surprising that the Windy City suffered the same fate. For this piece, let's take a look at the three Bulls most to blame for the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament disaster vs. the Heat.

Billy Donovan failed to control his team

Billy Donovan was ultimately disappointed with the way his team played. In fact, he even admitted the team was out of control during their do-or-die contest against the Heat. But as a coach, the responsibility also falls on his shoulders to stir his squad into the right direction.

One of the biggest takeaways from the Bulls' Play-In Tournament loss against the Heat was the former's lack of defensive effort. Chicago struggled to protect their homecourt, as Miami picked apart the defense by doing what they wanted, which was getting fastbreaks and driving to the paint.

Heat star Tyler Herro was the major benefactor, capitalizing on the Bulls' lack of effort. The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year exploded for 38 points, five rebounds, and four assists while shooting 13-of-19 from the field overall. Aside from Herro, former NBA champion Andrew Wiggins also had his way, chipping in 20 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. On the other hand, Davion Mitchell made major contributions by scoring 15 points off the bench.

Had the Bulls exerted more effort on the defensive end, the team would've had a golden opportunity to return to the playoffs. But in the end, Miami would continue to become Chicago's Play-In Tournament tormentors for the third straight year.

It's worth noting that the Bulls also failed to control the tempo right from the get-go, thanks to the Heat blasting them in the first few possessions. In the past, Donovan has always placed emphasis on how controlling the fastbreaks was integral to the team's success. Unfortunately, the Bulls veered away from their identity, which doomed them this season. They were uncharacteristically outscored in the fastbreak, 14-13. Furthermore, they were also outscored in the paint, 56-40. To add insult to injury, their 3-point shooting couldn't bail them out, making only 10-of-37 from deep as a team.

While it's his players that failed to execute, some of the blame should also go to Donovan for allowing them to play out of the team's identity. With another disappointing season in the books, it's easy to see why some fans have clamored for a coaching change.

Josh Giddey tried and failed to take matters into his own hands

With the team overwhelmed by the Heat's physicality, the Bulls resorted to their bad habits, which sealed their playoff absence. It's safe to say that Chicago fell into the trap of Miami's suffocating defense, forcing Josh Giddey into becoming an aggressive scorer.

There were plenty of instances when Giddey would try to take matters into their own hands. This paved the way for turnovers, as he committed three in the game, with Chicago finishing with 17, two more than the team's overall assists tally. By now, the Bulls should've realized that the Australian guard is more effective when he gets his teammates involved. But in the do-or-die game, Giddy only converted 9-of-21 from the field overall for 25 points, 10 rebounds, and only four assists.

Although it was decent production from Giddey statistically, the Bulls need him to make an impact as a floor general who sets the table for the team's offensive sets. Limiting him into a full-time scorer makes Giddy inefficient. Having an efficient centerpiece on offense is always a recipe for disaster.

Coby White's nightmare game

One of the biggest concerns during the Play-In game against the Heat was White's shooting struggles. Facing elimination, White mustered 17 points, two rebounds, and five assists in 42 minutes of action but shot miserably from the field. He only converted 5-of-20 from the field and 3-of-12 from beyond the arc. In addition to this, White also committed a team-high seven turnovers. It was easily a nightmare game that came at the worst time possible for Chicago.

After the game, White confessed that the team didn't have enough “game plan discipline.” Sweeping the Heat in the regular season made the team feel complacent heading into the do-or-die game. Playing against a past tormentor with plenty of playoff experience, the Bulls certainly made a huge misstep that cost them a postseason spot.

It certainly didn't help that both White and Giddey didn't receive much support outside of their starters. In fact, Chicago only got 13 bench points with Talen Horton-Tucker scoring nine of them. The whole Bulls bench was single-handedly outscored by the Heat's Mitchell. Former lottery pick Patrick Williams was a non-factor, going scoreless while registering a minus-9 in 15 minutes of action.