NEWSLETTER
And … we’re back?
The Chicago Bulls (17-20) looked a little bit more like their pre-All-Star break selves, as they handled a depleted Toronto Raptors in exactly the way they should in a 118-95 victory. They may have shot an underwhelming 27.3 percent from 3-point range, but they shared the ball arguably the best they have all season, dishing out 35 total assists and ending the game with NINE players in double-figures. According to the television broadcast on NBC Sports Chicago, it’s the first time they’ve had that many players with 10+ points since 1971. So I guess you could say it was a team effort.
Most important, however, this success came on the same night the Bulls switched up their starting lineup. Coby White and Wendell Carter Jr. saw their first action off the bench this season, and both looked nothing but comfortable in their new roles. White scored 13 points with 5 assists and 4 rebounds, and he finished with a game-high +24. Meanwhile, Carter looked like a player with something to prove, as he finished his first-ever performance off the bench with a double-double (12 points and 11 rebounds).
It’s also more than noteworthy that Patrick Williams recorded a career-high 23 points in his first time starting alongside Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky. The rookie was clearly a more important option on the offensive end, as the two savvy vets were able to find him time and again on some great cuts toward the hoop.
In general, this looked far more like the Bulls team we expected to see against the 76ers last week. But we need to keep in mind it came against a Raptors team that was missing three starters. While that doesn’t discredit the progress we saw tonight, it does mean we need to wait a bit longer before thinking things are fixed. Tonight was a good start, though.
Check out the full box score here.
