The Chicago Bulls are heading to Sac-town in a critical East - West matchup.

Inconsistency Nothing New for the Bulls 

The story line of the Chicago Bulls' season so far has revolved solely around their inability to hold each other accountable. Every time the team takes one step forward they immediately take two steps back. Following two disastrous losses against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz, the Bulls will have to rely on their bench and establish a definitive defensive presence in order to pull out this vital win. It is essential that players like Doug McDermott, Tony Snell, and Nikola Mirotic step up off the bench in the continued absence of Mike Dunleavy.

In addition, the silver lining in the Bulls' recent turmoil has been the explosive play of Derrick Rose and the continued emergence of Jimmy Butler as a legitimate superstar. So far this season Pau Gasol has been one of the Bulls' only consistent players and is still a double-double machine. On paper the Bulls have one of the best rosters in the league; however, players continue to point the finger at each other or even at Coach Fred Hoiberg. Before the Bulls can be taken seriously as a title contender they will need to prove that they can win games regularly and hold each other accountable. 

Sacramento Kings Making Strides 

The Sacramento Kings are on pace to make a playoff berth largely due to the overall lackluster play of Western Conference teams and the incredible play of DeMarcus Cousins. DeMarcus has been an absolute beast this season averaging 27.0 PPG and 11.3 RPG; however, his availability for the game Wednesday is questionable due to a sprained left ankle. Rajon Rondo has also been a regular triple-double threat averaging 12.0 PPG, 11.7 APG, and 6.4 RPG. Furthermore, Rudy Gay still has the potential to be an offensive force at times and has averaged 21.8 PPG over the last 10 games. Generally the Kings have played well against Eastern Conference teams at home, so it is unlikely that this will be an easy contest for the Bulls with or without Cousins. 

If Cousins is out, the Bulls will have a significant advantage on the boards and in the paint. While Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson may have a field day offensively, the key for the Kings is to maintain solid ball movement and play mainly through Rondo and Gay. Cousins being out will also provide an opportunity for rookie Willie Cauley-Stein to play big and show off his potential. If Cousins is out the Bulls will have a clear advantage in this game regardless of the Kings homecourt advantage. The ultimate take away from this game will be that if the Bulls do end up losing it will be a clear sign that management will need to seriously re-evaluate their team's structure. 

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About the author
Varun Devakonda
I am a at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying psychology. I am also an avid Bulls fan and have an interest in journalism.