LaVine on Bulls' struggles: 'Something is obviously wrong'

The Chicago Bulls are mired in their worst slump of the season - a 10-game losing streak - with only the Cleveland Cavaliers below them.

The defeats are seemingly taking a toll on the team. Just last week, veteran Robin Lopez exchanged words with Kris Dunn after making an aggressive play on him, causing Lopez to leave practice for 15 minutes to cool off.

Frustration is boiling over for many, including starting guard Zach LaVine, who's perplexed about his team's stunted progress.

"Something is obviously wrong," LaVine said, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "We weren’t losing (by) double digits earlier in the season. We might’ve been losing, and we didn’t even have a full roster. So, I don’t know. We’re a better team now. And we’re getting blown out. It doesn’t make a lot of sense."

The Bulls fired head coach Fred Hoiberg after a 5-19 start, during which the team lost by an average of 13.4 points. Under Jim Boylen, Chicago is 5-17 and are losing by 4.1 more points per game.

Boylen wants his players to compete harder but LaVine insists that isn't the problem.

“We’re playing hard. It just might not be enough,” LaVine said. “We play hard, though. You can’t fault effort. It’s not like we’re going out there and be like, ‘Oh, we’re going to lose today.’ Or, ‘We’re going to roll over.’ Out of nowhere, the lead balloons. It’s hard for us to crawl back.”

LaVine is averaging career highs in points (22.8), rebounds (4.3), and assists (4.3). The 23-year-old is signed through the 2021-22 season after the Bulls matched a four-year, $78-million offer sheet from the Sacramento Kings this past offseason.