The Bulls are supposed to be tanking, so why can’t they lose?

The Chicago Bulls are now 10-20. For most teams, a .333 winning percentage is a death sentence. But the Bulls aren’t most teams. They’re one that lost 20 of its first 23 games to start the season.

Chicago has now won seven in a row, and while they’re no threat to the Eastern Conference playoff picture — at least not yet —- the young Bulls don’t look nearly as lost as they did at the start of the year.

Instead, they’re finally fun again, and that’s without Zach LaVine, the uber-athletic guard recovering from a torn ACL whom the Bulls recouped as part of the Jimmy Butler trade.

But why? Why are the Bulls fun? The answer to that lies in another question:

Few expected him to play alongside Bobby Portis after their locker room altercation left Mirotic with a concussion and several fractured facial bones.

But while the two haven’t made up off the court, they have found some semblance of chemistry on it. Mirotic has played in seven games since recovering from that punch to the face. The Bulls haven’t lost one of them.

The Montenegrin shooter is averaging 19.6 points on virtually 50 percent shooting from both the field AND three-point range. He and Portis have been the Bulls’ best two-man lineup, according to data from NBA.com, and you can see it on the floor.

After a lukewarm rookie season left him with sparse playing time in Minnesota, Dunn was traded as a toss-in along with LaVine to the Bulls for Butler. But the second-year guard who showed promise at Providence seems to have settled into his role in Chicago just fine.

Dunn is now averaging 13.3 points and 5.8 assists per game. And in Year 2, he’s nearly shooting 10 percent better from downtown than he did as a rookie.

The Bulls are 8-9 with Nwaba playing and just 1-11 without him. He’s not an incredible shooter, but he’s a long, athletic wing defender who has directly contributed to Chicago holding teams to a league-low 29.6 percent shooting from three during its winning spree.

Nwaba was not drafted and had to scrap to make his way into the NBA. Here’s more on his story from our friends at Blog A Bull:

Nwaba comes with an amazing story. He played DIII college ball in Hawaii before transferring to a JUCO and then to a low major in Cal Poly. He wasn’t drafted and paid D-League teams $150 to try out for them. That path has led him to Chicago, where he suddenly looks like the Bulls’ heart and soul.

Nwaba should be too short for a small forward, at 6’4, yet there he was locking down Giannis Antetokounmpo in the fourth quarter even as he gives up seven inches. How is this possible? It’s all about length, athleticism and defensive instincts. He has an impossible 7-foot wingspan. He’s the most athletic player on the team. And he has an innate ability for using both attributes to make impact defensive plays.

Since their winning streak started on Dec. 8, the Bulls have become one of the better statistical teams on both ends of the floor. They have played like a top-10 offensive team with the league’s second-best defense. Much of that has to do with their schedule.

The Bulls have wins over the Celtics, who rested Kyrie Irving, and the 76ers, who rested Joel Embiid. But during its streak, Chicago has also beaten Charlotte, New York, Utah, Milwaukee, and Orlando.

There’s no telling if the Bulls will be able to keep it up. The bet is probably against their favor. But Chicago has become a fun team to watch here in December.

That leaves some Bulls fans conflicted. Many relished that 3-20 record. They’d take 3-79 at the end of the season if it meant the best odds at the No. 1 overall pick, especially given that this is the last season tanking will truly influence draft standing. A seven-game winning streak puts that draft standing, and therefore the best chance to secure a franchise-altering talent, in jeopardy.

But those fans should rest easy. The Bulls aren’t winning 16 in a row like the Celtics. This run will fade.

Here’s Blog A Bull again, on how that seven-game streak matters:

I want Doncic. To me, he’s the clear No. 1 player in this draft and someone with star potential. He would be a perfect fit for a Bulls team that still desperately needs offensive creators. It’s possible this winning streak costs the Bulls a chance at him.

That’s fine. Donovan Mitchell was the No. 13 pick last year. Kawhi Leonard went at No. 15. Giannis at No. 16. If the Bulls end up with the sixth pick instead of the first, it’s not the end of the world. Give me Mikal Bridges and I’m happy.

I also have a feeling that the NBA ... might just take care of the Bulls. The market is too big, the franchise is too much of a cash cow to be this bad. The lottery works in mysterious ways. The Bulls are due for some good luck.

The lottery will take care of itself. The Bulls are still going to lose a lot of games this season and have a high pick in June. This draft class still looks stacked within the top 10. The Bulls will get a good player.

As long as Chicago doesn’t rattle off more improbable wins, its standing in the upcoming draft should be just fine. But for now, enjoy this winning streak for what it is: wild and exciting but destined to come to an end.