Can the Struggling Bulls Exploit the Hornets’ Weakness and Turn the Tide?

Ever wondered if a team’s early-season promise is just a fleeting mirage or the real deal? That’s exactly the question hovering over the Bulls as they head into their Friday night clash against the Hornets in Charlotte. After cruising to an easy win in my last NBA pick—thanks to Stephon Castle torching the Lakers’ defense with 30 points—I’m hoping for another breeze tonight. The Bulls looked like contenders early on but it’s been a roller coaster since, with flashes of talent like Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic offering hope amid uncertainty. Meanwhile, the Hornets present a paradox: a roster lacking clear direction but anchored by the mercurial LaMelo Ball, whose brilliance is as unpredictable as a lightning strike. With key players sidelined on both sides, depth will be the name of the game—triggering a curious dilemma about who can capitalize under pressure. Can the Bulls shake off their recent funk and close the deal, or will the Hornets sting despite glaring absences? Let’s dive in and see why I’m backing Chicago to take this one by at least four points. LEARN MORE.

Bulls vs. Hornets, 7:00 ET

I returned to NBA action with a win in my last game shared on Outkick. It was a fairly easy one as well. We bet that Stephon Castle was going to eclipse his 14.5 points line against the Lakers, and he led the Spurs in scoring with 30. Sometimes it is nice to have a game where you don’t have to sweat anything out. I am looking for another one of those games here as the Bulls take on the Hornets in Charlotte on Friday night.

The Bulls started the season looking like they were going to be one of the biggest surprises and most dominant teams in the league. I think most knew that it was too good to last. Nonetheless, it was a fun moment where Chicago’s hodgepodge group of players went together and played well. There is some talent on this roster, but I’m still not quite sure what they envision for now or the future. Josh Giddey looks like he is an actual piece to build around. While his likely isn’t a #1 option, he is probably worthy of orchestrating an offense and can score when needed. Nikola Vucevic is a stretch five, and would probably be helpful on a contender, but the Bulls are a fringe playoff team. Coby White has shown moments where he can carry a team, but he is not good enough to do it consistently. Outside of that, the Bulls have nothing but role players, which usually isn’t ideal on the road. You can tell by their 3-9 record away from home that it is fairly true with this roster as well.

The Hornets are in a worse and better situation than the Bulls. They are in a worse situation because they also don’t seem to have a true direction with their roster. However, they are in a better situation because they have a potential star in LaMelo Ball. Ball is potentially the most frustrating player in basketball. If you ever played pickup basketball, he is the guy who is going to shoot from 40 feet away because he didn’t touch the ball the previous possession. When he is hot, Ball is really good. If they can convince him to play within a system and be more selective with his scoring opportunities, they probably could build around him. Trade Giddey for Ball, and I think the Bulls are about the same, but I do think the Hornets improve. The Hornets went just 3-32 without Ball last season, so it isn’t like there is enormous talent around him, or they play better without him. They were 16-31 with him, so clearly a substantial improvement with him being on the court. The good news is that they seem to have hit on Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller is a reliable player as well. They have three young guys to build around, but they need to get serious about playing, and probably could use some veteran presence.

The biggest issue for the Hornets in this game is the depth. I actually think they win this game if both teams are healthy. Ball will be out for the game, and we already saw their record when he is out. The other problem is they are missing virtually every good bench player they have. Colin Sexton is out, Grant Williams, Tre Mann, and Pat Connaughton are all going to miss tonight as well. The Bulls are missing a couple pieces tonight, too. They will not have Ayo Dosunmu or Kevin Huerter, both guys who play a lot of minutes for the team. However, I do think the Bulls need a win. They have been really bad lately, even losing to bad teams. It is hard to trust them right now, but some games you know a team will go in and take care of business. This is one of those games. Give me the Bulls -3.5.

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