Pinstripes Tonight! Early-Season Issues, Not Time for White To Start (Yet), and Other Bulls Bullets

If you regularly follow these bullets, then you’ll remember the squirrel who’s always outside my window in the morning. I named him Lyle (so, yeah … you can say I’m emotionally attached).

Well, Lyle hasn’t left yet, and he’s still on the hunt for the finest acorns this side of the Mississippi. However, the weather’s getting colder, and the leaves are further restricting Lyle’s search. I fear the day Lyle and I must part ways is around the corner.

Anyway, time for bullets!

  • WE GET PINSTRIPES TONIGHT!!!!!
  • I don’t know if I should be more excited about this or the fact that it’s a Luke Kornet revenge game!? Hmmmmm.
  • If you need a quick rundown of everything not going right for the Bulls right now, The Daily Herald’s got you covered. Mike McGraw writes that these issues over Chicago’s first three-games could be “tough to fix,” but I’d have to disagree. For starters, we can’t make any real assumptions on any team after only one week. The Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers for crying out loud. Sure, the Bulls had several (okay, many) worrisome moments; however, most feel like expected growing pains for a young core with several new additions.
  • A 28-percent three-point percentage shouldn’t continue, especially with these shooters. Otto Porter looking like a 50-year-old man shouldn’t continue, especially with more rest and Chandler Hutchison returning (more on that later today). Failing to convert in the paint shouldn’t continue, especially when Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. are your bigs. My only real concern moving forward is the defense. As for the other inconsistencies, we could see a turnaround as soon as this week. Teams adjust. Teams improve.
  • NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson gave his five observations from the Bulls home-opening loss to the Raptors this weekend. He mentions the Bulls stagnant ball movement, and this is an area where I NEED to see immediate improvement this week. The Bulls have failed to fully channel the same quick-passing, unselfish offense we saw during the preseason. The poor execution is leading to contested shots … which leads to fewer makes.
  • And, Zach LaVine just can’t do this:
  • The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry has some great stuff on Coby White and Daniel Gafford in his latest piece.
  • Mayberry mentioned Luke Kornet’s struggles to start the season and went on to ask a similar question to the one I presented after Saturday’s loss:
  • If you’re going to test the waters with Gafford, there would be no better time than this week. The Bulls’ next two games come against the Knicks and Cavs, two opponents Chicago has a very solid chance at beating. Both teams have their fair share of experienced frontcourt players, but the matchups should blend low stakes with a suitable challenge. If the defensive woes continue, it’s worth giving Gafford a shot in real minutes.
  • Coby White dropped 25 points against Ja Morant, so talk to the hand.
  • https://twitter.com/Bulls_Peck/status/1188612968268865536?s=20

  • For those of you calling for White to start, just keep this in mind:
  • I totally believe White can pick up starts here and there, and, ultimately, he’s going to be the starting point guard for this team, but the instant success we’ve seen is in large part due to his role. White has been killing it as a spark plug off the bench. The rookie is truly able to just play his game as he gets acclimated into the NBA, and that’s a perfect way for a guy to build confidence.
  • (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

  • #DefenseBack?
  • The Knicks are so screwed.
  • We all deserve Michael Jordan content to start our week.
  • written by

    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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