Anshari TaslimThe Chicago Bulls find themselves at a critical juncture in the 2025-26 NBA season, prompting persistent questions regarding the team’s identity and direction. After an encouraging 6-1 start that hinted at significant progress following a strong finish to the previous season, the Bulls have faltered, dropping nine of their subsequent 12 games to settle at a 9-10 record. This recent downturn underscores the complexities of team development, where growth is rarely linear. Historical precedents, such as the 2022 Boston Celtics, who climbed from below .500 in mid-January to reach the NBA Finals, or last year’s Indiana Pacers, who started 16-18 on New Year’s Day before finding their stride, illustrate that a bumpy process often accompanies the forging of a new identity.
However, the Pacers comparison extends beyond mere seasonal fluctuations. Multiple sources, as detailed in a recent ESPN feature, indicate that the Indiana Pacers have served as a direct inspiration for Chicago’s roster construction and stylistic approach. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan articulated this philosophy, stating, "That’s who we have to be. We have to be better than the sum of our parts. … Everybody sees Indiana play, and the thing that everybody goes to right away is oh, their pace, their pace, their pace." This strategic pivot has seen Chicago attempt to replicate Indiana’s up-tempo style, a hallmark of the Pacers’ recent success.
The allure of the Pacers’ model is clear. Under the guidance of All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers have become one of the league’s most exciting and efficient offensive teams, consistently ranking among the league leaders in pace. Haliburton, acquired in a 2022 trade, has averaged over 20 points and 10 assists per game, showcasing elite playmaking and a high-volume, efficient three-point shot, including a significant number of pull-up attempts. The subsequent acquisition of All-Star forward Pascal Siakam further solidified Indiana’s contender status, adding a versatile scorer and defender without dismantling their core. A Bulls source openly pondered this blueprint, questioning, "If Giddey can develop into an All-Star and be what Hali was, when do we pull the trigger to get our Siakam?"
The concept of modeling an NBA franchise after a successful contemporary is frequently debated in roster-building circles, yet its efficacy remains questionable. An examination of the league’s current elite teams reveals a pattern of unique, often idiosyncratic, construction rather than direct imitation. The Oklahoma City Thunder, for instance, underwent an aggressive, multi-year rebuild through strategic tanking and an accumulation of draft assets. Their stylistic identity is anchored by the MVP-level scoring of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a deep roster of versatile, All-Defense caliber role players. This unique blend, built patiently through the draft, has no readily available blueprint.
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Similarly, the reigning champion Denver Nuggets are a testament to singular talent and tailored roster construction. Their success revolves around Nikola Jokic, a generational talent whose unparalleled passing and scoring abilities defy conventional center archetypes. Denver’s strategy has involved meticulously surrounding Jokic with players who complement his unique skillset: defensive-minded, athletic forwards adept at cutting (Aaron Gordon, Peyton Watson), proficient shooting wings (Michael Porter Jr.), and a high-level guard creator in Jamal Murray, whose chemistry with Jokic is virtually inimitable. Their championship run was not a product of imitation but of maximizing a unique superstar.
Even the Houston Rockets, who mirrored Oklahoma City’s asset accumulation strategy in their rebuild, forged a distinct playing style. Houston identified and exploited a market inefficiency in offensive rebounding, leading the league in offensive rebounding rate by a significant margin during the 2022-23 season. This occurred during a period when league-wide offensive rebounding was at historical lows. By pairing Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, the Rockets jumpstarted a league-wide shift, demonstrating how innovation, not imitation, can yield competitive advantages.
Indeed, the best teams in the NBA often serve as trendsetters rather than followers. The Rockets’ emphasis on offensive boards has contributed to this season seeing the highest league-wide offensive rebounding rate since 2012-13. Conversely, league-wide three-point attempts and ball screens are down year-over-year, partly influenced by the Nuggets’ success in winning with ball movement and more limited three-point shooting. The Thunder’s consistent leadership in drives per game over the past five seasons has also prompted other teams to adopt more aggressive attacking strategies.
Historical context further reinforces the perils of the copycat approach. Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2020 championship, predicated on the dominant frontcourt of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, many contenders mistakenly assumed that stockpiling big men was the only path to countering their formidable size. This led to several ill-fated acquisitions: the Utah Jazz handed Derrick Favors a three-year mid-level deal, only to offload him a year later with a valuable first-round pick; the Los Angeles Clippers signed Serge Ibaka; and the Boston Celtics added Tristan Thompson. Even Mason Plumlee parlayed his size into a significant three-year contract with the Detroit Pistons despite limited playoff minutes against the Lakers. This widespread shift proved largely ineffective.
The subsequent NBA champions quickly demonstrated the fleeting nature of such trends. The Milwaukee Bucks, led by the inimitable Giannis Antetokounmpo, won in 2021 with big lineups, but their success was rooted in a generational talent, not merely roster construction. The 2021 Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns were a one-big team, relying on Chris Paul’s veteran leadership and Devin Booker’s scoring. A year later, the Golden State Warriors reclaimed the title, famously deploying Draymond Green at center in the Finals, echoing their original dynasty’s small-ball philosophy from 2015. In the NBA, strategic tides turn rapidly. By the time a team successfully imitates a trend, the league has often already adapted, rendering the original advantage obsolete. Truly special teams possess the adaptability and inherent excellence to withstand these adjustments, a capability often beyond the reach of copycats.
Closer examination of the Bulls’ attempts to mirror the Pacers reveals significant discrepancies. While Josh Giddey, acquired in a recent trade, shares stylistic similarities with Tyrese Haliburton as a transition maestro, and has shown improved three-point shooting, fundamental differences persist. Giddey’s three-point prowess is primarily off the catch, whereas Haliburton is a prolific pull-up shooter, converting 39 such attempts in last year’s playoffs alone, compared to Giddey’s 35 total over the past four seasons. Furthermore, Giddey has never shot better than 53% on two-pointers and is at 50.9% in a higher-usage role with the Bulls, a stark contrast to Haliburton’s 58% over his three full seasons as a Pacer. Giddey’s capabilities, while valuable, do not equate to Haliburton’s profound impact.
The ambition to acquire their own "Siakam-esque" forward is similarly fraught with challenges. All-Star caliber forwards rarely become available, and when they do, they command exorbitant prices (e.g., Mikal Bridges reportedly garnered five first-round picks) or gravitate towards more immediate contenders. The Bulls’ reported consideration of trading for Anthony Davis, for instance, would involve taking on a maximum salary, potentially gutting their team. The Pacers’ acquisition of Pascal Siakam was a case of "right place, right time"—a player who fit their needs became available at a reasonable cost due to his age, contract status, and impending free agency, allowing Indiana to pounce without sacrificing their core. For Chicago, the most realistic path to a similar talent may be internal development, perhaps with a prospect like Matas Buzelis, though his journey to that level remains extensive.
The Bulls have also attempted to replicate Indiana’s success with "second draft" players—highly drafted youngsters who did not fully pan out with their original teams. The Pacers found success with players like Aaron Nesmith (from Boston) and Obi Toppin (from New York), who revitalized their careers in Indiana’s system. While the Bulls appear content with Isaac Okoro, acquired from Cleveland, he largely remains the same player: a capable defender who can make open shots but struggles with volume and drawing defensive attention in high-leverage situations.
A comprehensive review of Chicago’s roster often reveals slightly lesser versions of Indiana’s equivalents. Andrew Nembhard, a second-round gem for the Pacers, has emerged as a crucial backcourt contributor, while Ayo Dosunmu, a solid second-round pick for the Bulls, offers similar but less impactful contributions. The Pacers boast Myles Turner, a shooting center who provides elite rim protection. The Bulls have Nikola Vučević, a capable shooting center whose defensive limitations, particularly in paint protection, significantly hinder Chicago’s ability to mirror Indiana’s defensive strategy. In 2024, sensing their vulnerability in rim protection, the Pacers pivoted to prioritize three-point defense, becoming the only team to allow fewer than 30 three-point attempts per game, albeit at the cost of allowing the most paint points. The Bulls, by contrast, allow the second-most paint points per game (behind only the tanking Washington Wizards) while allowing the seventh-fewest three-point attempts per possession, indicating an incomplete or less effective replication of the Pacers’ nuanced defensive scheme.
This underscores the fundamental pitfall of attempting to copy another team’s blueprint. The probability of building a superior version of an already existing successful team is exceedingly low, especially when that original team remains a direct competitor. The irony is that the Bulls appear to be more deliberately trying to be the Pacers than the Pacers themselves were in their formation.
Indiana’s success was largely organic and opportunistic. The acquisition of Tyrese Haliburton, for example, was not a pre-meditated move to accelerate pace but a trade that capitalized on a unique talent becoming available (in exchange for Domantas Sabonis). Coach Rick Carlisle, historically, did not adhere to a strictly fast-paced philosophy; his previous six Dallas Mavericks teams were below league average in pace, adapting to the roster he possessed. The Pacers built their style around their players, drafting effectively and making aggressive, intelligent trades for available talent rather than rigidly pursuing a predetermined set of player archetypes. Their identity emerged from maximizing the players they acquired.
The inherent danger in locking onto another team’s course is that the same roster-building opportunities may never materialize. A Pascal Siakam-level talent might not become available to the Bulls under similar circumstances, and Josh Giddey’s development trajectory may never converge with Haliburton’s. While the Pacers have acquired top-tier talent, the Bulls might encounter different, equally valuable, roster-building avenues that necessitate an open-minded and adaptable approach.
Ultimately, sustained success in the NBA stems from authentic identity. There is no replicating the Pacers, or out-Thunder-ing the Thunder, or out-Nuggets-ing the Nuggets. The Chicago Bulls’ path to contention lies in becoming the optimal version of themselves, a strategy that prioritizes organic growth and unique strengths over the restrictive confines of a copycat game.
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