The Chicago Bulls made plenty of headlines just over a week ago. Newly-minted head coach Jim Boylen took over the reins with a hard-charging style of leadership that was very different from his predecessor Fred Hoiberg. His controversial benchings during the team’s 133-77 loss to the Boston Celtics led the players to push back against his antics.

In the end, both sides hashed things out in extended meetings. The Boylen Era got off to a rocky start, but the players and coaches were intent on determining the best course forward so that they all could remain at their best on a daily basis.

The “big talk” fell just ahead of a three-game road trip, and road trips force teams to be close with one another. That can either help a team bond or create even more conflict. In the Bulls’ case, the 1-2 trip could been seen as a positive. The determination was evident in the past three games, even if the focus wasn’t always there.

The most notable aspect of the road trip was the Bulls’ commitment on the defensive end. Boylen’s introduction to the team has brought about a relative defensive renaissance. A team that was 23rd in defensive rating under Hoiberg is now 15th in that category under the new boss. Over the last three games, specifically, the Bulls held their opponents to 105.8 points per 100 possessions. That’s 14th in the league over the length of the trip.

This was apparent when the Bulls held the Orlando Magic to 41.5 percent shooting, despite being in a losing effort. This defense also helped the Bulls hold the San Antonio Spurs to 31 points in the second half of their battle. Meanwhile, Chicago reeled off 55 points of their own in the half en route to a close win.

Chicago’s defensive effort also shows up in the turnover column. The Bulls forced 17.0 turnovers per game over the course of the road trip, seventh-most in the league. That’s pretty in line with what they’ve done under Boylen. The 16.6 they’ve forced per game since he took over is sixth-most in the NBA. By contrast, they generated 14.3 per game under Hoiberg, 21st in the league.

While the Bulls defense has improved, their offense has actually gotten worse. The team already had the league’s second-worst offensive rating under Hoiberg. However, they have managed to find a new low with Boylen. Chicago sported a 101.0 offensive rating with Hoiberg on the sidelines. That rating has plummted to a league-worst 94.2 points per 100 possessions under new management. Their 96.6 offensive rating during the road trip is also second-worst in the league.

Part of the inefficiency comes from shooting percentages that are just below average. Their split of 44.2/34.5/76.8 over the last three games ranks them 22nd, 18th, and 16th, respectively. The other part is born from turnovers. The Bulls are just as good at producing turnovers as they are forcing them. Their 19.4 turnovers per game under Boylen is second-worst in the league. The 17.3 per game they coughed up on the road trip is seventh-worst in the league.

Chicago’s 18 turnovers against Orlando were part of the problem in the loss. However, they were evened out by their own turnovers and the Magic’s general lack of pace. The Bulls only conceded nine turnovers to the Spurs, which helped their winning effort. However, things can get out of hand when they play a high-tempo team with a hawking defense.

Such was the case against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have the NBA’s top defense and scores the sixth-most fastbreak points in the league. In their matchup, OKC pressured the Bulls into 25 turnovers and scored 24 points off of them. The Thunder also racked up 27 fastbreak points to Chicago’s nine.

The Chicago Bulls are a team that is still striving to figure things out. For now, they have greatly improved their defense, jumping from bottom third to middle of the pack. However, they will need to improve offensively, becoming more efficient with their shots and smarter with the ball. Considering what has transpired, it’s honestly just good to see that the players’ will to win hasn’t wavered.