The Bulls played some solid basketball yesterday. Wow.
Sure, it’s only the preseason, but if you saw the game, you’d have to admit it’s a breath of fresh air to see how those guys were playing. The team was moving the ball around, three-point shots were flying, and the energy was consistent.
I’m not going to overreact to anything yet (I’ll save that for when Coby White dunks on Zion tomorrow), but I’m pleased with how this first night went.
Let’s just get this out of the way now: Wendell Carter Jr.’s tailbone injury might be a bit worse than initially reported. Before yesterday’s preseason game against the Bucks, head coach Jim Boylen told reporters Carter Jr.’s injury is taking some time to heal. He said it’s a deep bruise, and when asked about Carter Jr.’s consistent trouble with minor injuries, Boylen’s did express some concern. Again, I don’t think we have reason to believe this will impact Carter Jr.’s long-term status, but, boy … this guy has to learn to stay healthy.
You can check out the full soundbite below:
Something I do want to bring up as an update on Wendell Carter Jr.'s health. This is Jim Boylen from the pregame today. "Carter has a bruised tailbone and it's taking a while to come around" pic.twitter.com/BoXAtded02
With Carter Jr. and free-agent big Luke Kornet out, the front-court was running on fumes. Lauri Markkanen played fine, while rookie Daniel Gafford showed flashes of what is to come. Although, without a full depth chart to work with, the entire night for the front-court was a bit difficult to evaluate. NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson discusses exactly, so be sure to check it out.
During this offseason, the Bucks scooped up the former-Bull, Lopez, and the veteran big man put on a show alongside his brother. He scored 14 points with five rebounds and three blocks. Oh, and he also drained a three. I’m happy and sad all at the same time. *sigh.*
The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry offered up his top-5 observations from last night’s game, and I couldn’t agree more. I think what we needed to see in game one, we saw. The Bulls were, in fact, testing out their versatility even with a short bench, and emphasizing ball movement from the get-go. Honestly, I think there were even several moments where the ball should have stayed in Zach LaVine or Lauri Markkanen’s hand. This team’s speed and unselfish play are real, but now it’s time to hone that skill.
It’s an observation party! The Score’s Cody Westerlund also threw out some of his own observations, and he’s got a couple of different thoughts on his list, so give it a read.
The Bulls Talk podcast got right into things last night. You boys are quick.
Could you have imagined Coby White’s first Bulls bucket coming in any other way?
If we know anything, it’s that Coby White’s speed comes as advertised. However, the most surprising aspect of his performance last night was just how big he looked. I don’t know if the UNC court shrinks players, but White’s positional size is looking like a huge plus. After the game, he commented that he’s willing and able to play the 1, 2, and 3 positions. While I do want White to learn how to facilitate, him learning how to play off the ball is just as important. He has the ability to really tire out defenses and find the open space … now about that jumper (shot 3-10 last night).
This may not seem like all that big of a deal, but this is the kind of talent Tomas Satoransky brings your team.
Satoransky played the second-most amount of minutes off the bench with 22 (Coby White had 25), and he may not have lit up the scoreboard, but man, did he contribute. He finished with the second-best +/- (+3) on the team and had seven rebounds, three assists and FIVE steals. Also, six of those rebounds were offensive. A game like this perfectly represents what the Bulls got when signing Sato. No matter where he’s playing on the court, he’ll find a way to make it count. I’ll be excited to see him finally get a start at PG in a future preseason game to see how that helps his scoring/assists, but a very solid first overall performance.
By the way, up next for the Bulls will be the Pelicans … and they have this guy.
Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.
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