The Chicago Bulls play host to the Brooklyn Nets at United Center on Wednesday.

The Nets (14-18) are quietly one of the hottest teams in the NBA, as they come into this matchup winning six-straight games. It's not like they were playing a bunch of scrubs either, as Brooklyn beat the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors in that stretch. The most recent win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday showed where they've really improved, as D'Angelo Russell has taken over this team. Russell handed out a career-high 14 assists in that victory, as he showed his former team why they shouldn't have traded him. Spencer Dinwiddie provided 18 points and six assists in that win as well, as that's pretty close to his season averages coming off the bench. That point guard duo is arguably the best in the NBA and it has this team in its best spot in years.

The Bulls (7-24) come into this matchup losing 15 of their last 18 games, as they've developed into one of the worst teams in the league. There are some signs of promise though, as the young pieces on this Bulls team have to have fans encouraged. Youngsters like Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine have all shown signs of brilliance this season and it's a promising core headed forward. That doesn't even consider frontcourt players like Wendell Carter Jr. and Bobby Portis, as this team is in good hands heading forward. The one thing missing is a veteran presence though, as it's tough for all these young players to compete with elite competition. The fact that their last two wins have come against the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder shows the sort of upside they present but all the losses show who this team really is.

Brooklyn swept their three-game season series over Chicago last season, with the Nets winning by an average of 18 points per game.