The Chicago Bulls have a long 48 hours ahead of them.
After taking on the Spurs in San Antonio later tonight, they’ll fly right back to Chicago for a meeting with the Indiana Pacers on Friday. While this may not be their toughest back-to-back set of the season, it sure doesn’t help that they’re banged up. Patrick Williams remains out with a foot injury, while Coby White is expected to miss his second consecutive game. Josh Giddey also landed on the injury report Thursday morning and is listed as questionable with an ankle sprain.
- I guess the good news for the Chicago Bulls is that they’ll dodge the NBA’s unicorn. San Antonio has ruled out Victor Wembanyama for this evening’s game with lower back soreness. After a somewhat slow start, the generational talent has found his rhythm in recent weeks. Wembanyama is averaging 23.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 3.4 blocks per game. San Antonio runs everything through the big man, so not having him on the floor tonight will make for a drastically different team.
- Is this all a conspiracy!? Does Wemby hope to hand the Bulls another victory in an effort to help his organization secure an additional top-10 pick!? I DECLARE COLLUSION! CALL ADAM SILVER!
- In all seriousness, the Spurs are 2-1 without Wemby this season, which includes a shocking win over the OKC Thunder. This roster is well-equipped with motivated youngsters and responsible veterans. Devin Vassell is a marksman from downtown (48.8 percent on 6.1 3PAs). Jeremy Sochan is a physical beast. Rookie Stephon Castle is an energizer bunny. Meanwhile, Chris Paul remains as savvy as they come, dishing 8.3 assists per game and helping San Antonio hold a league-high 71.3 AST percentage. Eight players on this roster are averaging double-digit points per game, so the Bulls’ defense better be ready to play on a string.
- With that said, the absence of Wembanyama will open the door to the paint. The Bulls should come in tonight with a downhill mentality and look to gain an early advantage inside. San Antonio already allows the fourth-most second-chance points in the league despite Wemby’s presence. Take him off the floor, and there should be an even better chance for Chicago to create extra possessions. To be sure, San Antonio still has some good size with Zach Collins and Charles Bassey, but Nikola Vucevic and Jalen Smith should still be able to make their presence felt.
- You know the NBA season has officially arrived when superstar players are calling out their teammates!
- I know I’ve said this before, but I remain extremely impressed with how little drama there has been in Chicago this season. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic deserve a lot of credit for the way they’ve conducted themselves on and off the court. While both likely know that they could end up wearing a different jersey by the end of the season, they haven’t let this impact their buy-in. Most importantly, they have both looked more than willing to help Chicago in their efforts to develop young talent. Whether it be their unselfish passing or the many enthusiastic high-fives I’ve seen dished out on the bench, these are two veterans promoting peek professionalism.
- I couldn’t agree more with this statement from Esfandiar Baraheni. This isn’t to say Billy Donovan is void of blame, and I still think moving on from him eventually is a wise move for a rebuilding organization. But all this talk about him being a crappy coach is silly. The front office hasn’t done him any favors.
One day, we will start to realize that coaching, especially professionally, isn't as impactful as… uh… having a roster of good basketball players
— Justesbaraheni (@justesbaraheni.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 8:28 PM
- Matas Buzelis is showing some uber-athletic flashes on both sides of the ball, and nothing demonstrates that better than these two stats.
- We loved to see local reporters breaking big national news! Someone is about to add an All-Star guard to the roster. Could it be the Sky?
Jewell Loyd has requested a trade out of Seattle, multiple sources told the Sun-Times on Wednesday. chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky-…
— Annie Costabile (@anniecostabile.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 7:28 PM
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- Tab is ready to see one of the Blackhawks’ top prospects called up to the big leagues. Do you agree?
- Thomas Brown walked reporters through what he’s telling his team in Week 1 as head coach. The sense of accountability and leadership is incredibly encouraging. Here’s what he had to say.
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