The Bulls need a few tough weeks of training; They just didn’t have time.

Thanks, NBA Schedule.

Coach Billy Donovan was excited for the calendar to turn to December. Only 10 games are currently scheduled for the month, with two in-season tournament games expected to be added the week of December 8th.

It will be a different feeling than November. The Bulls will play 16 games this month, including four consecutive.

Since late October, the Bulls have had fewer than a handful of real practices, relying instead on morning shootarounds and filming.

Saturday’s loss to the Grizzlies was a clear reminder that the formula doesn’t work.

It was the third game in the last six games in which the Bulls allowed 140 or more points. Donovan watched his defense improve in overall efficiency from November 2nd to November 28th.

The Bulls finished 21st last season, and that was with Andre Drummond and All-NBA first-team defenseman Alex Caruso. Drummond left the team via free agency and Caruso was traded to the Thunder for Josh Giddey. Subtraction by addition defensively.

And by the way, the Thunder were the best team in defensive efficiency on Sunday. Caruso is averaging just 5.0 points but is second on the team in defensive efficiency, has drawn five tackles and leads Oklahoma City with 51 deflections.

The Bulls have only drawn two offenses, and Patrick Williams is the team leader with 33 deflections.

That’s why Donovan looks for answers, hoping to find them in the sweaty justice that good, hard practice brings.

“(The defensive failures are) being addressed every day,” he said.

Even in Friday’s win against the Hawks, Donovan had a few moments where he scratched his head.

“We had matchups against Jalen Johnson and (De’Andre) Hunter, and we actually have to think about getting a one-two punch in the post,” Donovan said. “We have to be positionally and technically able to not overtax ourselves physically. Sometimes the ball is in space and we have to be able to sit down and guard the ball.”

And whether it’s a question of the Bulls’ will or whether they’re simply a poorly positioned defensive team, Donovan doesn’t have the time to examine it. Either way, the Bulls can use the work.

“I don’t know necessarily, other than when we get back to training where we can actually start working on one-on-one and ball control,” he said. “I think we tried harder in the pick-and-roll and did it better. It’s more physical there. It’s more of the space where the player has the ball and spins and spins and spins all the way to the basket. At some point we have to assert ourselves.

“We have to work on it; we have to get better. I think we can be better. We have to be one of the teams that completely eliminates fault tolerance.”

In other words, be more like Caruso.

“There were times last year where you thought, ‘Oh my God, this is bad,’ and Caruso fixes it,” Donovan said. “We don’t have that. They know we have to get better at this.”

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