Some define insanity as doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results.
By that definition, the Bulls should be should be committed. Aside from injuries, they are nearly the same team they were last season — a result of continuity — with an almost-identical record and little progress.
After yielding 46 points and 16 rebounds to Giannis Antetokounmpo in a 113-97 loss Friday to the Bucks, the Bulls (28-32) sat in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. A spot in the play-in tournament is all that comes with it.
So what will it take for the Bulls to jump from play-in to an actual playoff team?
‘‘There’s 48 minutes in a game,’’ coach Billy Donovan said. ‘‘You can’t expect to win if you’re not doing the things that we need to, that are necessary to win.’’
What’s out of their control, Donovan continued, is how the eight teams sitting ahead of them finish the season.
‘‘If the teams above us just keep winning, too, there’s not much you can do,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘You just try to focus on the opportunities that are in front of you.’’
At this point last season, the Bulls were six games below .500 after a six-game losing streak. The Bulls’ longest skid this season has been five, which came early on.
When it comes to their efforts to earn a playoff spot, Donovan said there’s no use in referring to the struggles of last season. It’s a different team, he said.
Guard Alex Caruso said there are indirect lessons that can be applied now, however.
‘‘Some of those obstacles last year allowed Coby [White] and Ayo [Dosunmu] to flourish into the players they’ve turned into this season for us,’’ Caruso said before the game against the Bucks. ‘‘Players we’ve needed them to be because people have been out.’’
A stark difference between the team this season and last is the names on the injury report. The Bulls’ max-contract player, guard Zach LaVine, missed 24 games before having season-ending surgery on his right foot at the beginning of February. Less than a month later, forward Patrick Williams had season-ending surgery on his left foot.
All of this points to the most impressive quality about these Bulls, which Caruso alluded to: They are accomplishing the same thing with the help of young players who are stepping up and becoming the players the Bulls hoped they would.
White has risen to star status. He entered the game Friday averaging 19.3 points, up from the 9.7 he averaged last season. With that status comes the attention of every opponent. The challenge now is to figure out the right balance for his workload.
As critical as White’s and Dosunmu’s improvements have been, however, forward DeMar DeRozan deserves significant credit for the Bulls’ steady hold on a play-in spot, another similarity to last season.
DeRozan is averaging his most minutes in a season since his fourth in the NBA, when he was 10 years younger. In the locker room, his leadership has been pivotal in the development of the Bulls’ young talent.
‘‘I have great admiration and respect for him because of the mentality he has,’’ Donovan said of DeRozan. ‘‘I don’t take it for granted. What he’s been able to do and how he’s gone about doing it in every facet .. . I just appreciate the workload that he’s had to handle. Because it’s not only the workload, it’s also a leadership role.’’
Coming out of the All-Star break, Donovan said the standings have been a topic of focus. The purpose, he said, is to make the guys aware of where the team is at.
The Bulls have 22 games remaining. If last season is any indication, they will be one of the four play-in teams in the East.
