Following six consecutive losses, the Chicago Bulls are 3-3 over their last six affairs. The Bulls’ three victories have coincidentally come against teams within five spots of one another in the Eastern Conference pecking order. Chicago has defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (12th), Toronto Raptors (13th), and Orlando Magic (9th) over the last two weeks.

Despite a 3-9 stretch since early February, the Bulls remain in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Their play-in adversaries, Brooklyn and Philadelphia, are 4-8 and 1-11, respectively, over the same span. Chicago’s odds of dropping out of Play-In Tournament contention are unlikely. According to PlayoffStatus, the Bulls have a 54 percent chance of winding up as the 10th seed—41 percent more likely than the team with next best odds.

The Chicago Bulls are seemingly locked into the 10th place

While it’s increasingly unlikely the Bulls will fall down the East’s standings, it’s equally unlikely they will gain ground on the 9th-seeded Magic, or even the 8th-seeded Atlanta Hawks. Chicago’s likelihood of landing a 9th seed entering the Play-In Tournament is merely 13 percent. Conversely, Orlando’s odds are flipped—54 percent likely to finish 9th and 13 percent to finish 10th.

Unfortunately, the Bulls are on track to advance to the unofficial postseason for the third consecutive season and the second of three as a 10th seed. Chicago’s first appearance wound up in a second-game loss to the eventual 8th-seeded Miami Heat. A year later, the Bulls again advanced but lost to the Heat in the elimination game.

Although, for various reasons, it’s obligatory to remain competitive in the NBA, the Bulls have toed the line of mediocracy—remedying this ideology null. The organization finally embraced a restart in February, which led to the Zach LaVine trade. The Arturas Karnisovas-led Front Office sent LaVine to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team swap, only to receive three role players and a 2025 first-round pick in return.

However, even after coming to terms with their positioning in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls have remained stagnant. After falling from 9th to 10th place on January 1, Chicago has held steady for 65 days. Aside from the Bulls, the bottom third of the east has also remained relatively stagnant. The Washington Wizards have held 15th for most of the season, while the Charlotte Hornets and Raptors have flip-flopped between 13th and 14th, and the Nets and Sixers have been neck and neck, vying for 11th place.

No matter how many games the Bulls lose in a row, 10th place seems to be the only outcome. Chicago is currently 3.5 games ahead of the 11th-seeded Nets and 3.5 games behind the 9th-seeded Magic. With 19 games remaining, and the 19th most difficult schedule remaining, the Bulls’ margin for error is vast.