The Chicago Bulls are back, baby.
Sure, they may only have one preseason game under their belt. And yes, the win might have come against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but between the likes of how the team was moving up and down the court, and the overall stoppage efficiency, it can already be said with full confidence that this 2021-22 Bulls squad is going to make a lot of Chicagoans happy.
The Bulls earned themselves a commanding 131-95 victory over the Cavaliers on Tuesday, marking the start of an entirely new era of Bulls Basketball. While Tony Bradley, Derrick Jones Jr., Marko Simonovic, Coby White, and Patrick Williams were all out for the evening, the rest of the new-look roster were primed and ready to go.
And boy, did they put on a show.
Chicago's bench was energized, Bulls Twitter was elated, and even commentator Stacey King himself was losing his mind.
“Chi Slamma Jamma Baby”
Stacey King’s already in mid-season form pic.twitter.com/VIzcIde8e6
— Barstool Chicago (@barstoolchicago) October 6, 2021
Offense, Offense, Offense
With the addition of Lonzo Ball, it should come as no surprise that Zach LaVine was able to score 25 points. What is impressive though is that he did it in just 24 minutes of play, shooting 64.3 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three. DeMar DeRozan also had himself a nice scoring game, finishing with 13 points, while Ball contributed eight points and five assists.
However, the Bulls' strong offensive performance was not solely because of their three stars—it was truly a team effort. Seven different players scored in double figures, with 10 scoring at least eight points. In total, Chicago recorded 109 field goal attempts, shot 46.8 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from downtown, while dishing out 36 assists.
In other words, the squad put on a shooting clinic (and that pace though).
What Defensive Voids?
While there was no doubt coming out of the offseason that the Bulls' offense would level up, many were questioning what team defense would look like.
But so far, so good.
The team finished with an impressive 11 blocks (four came from Javonte Green alone) and 13 steals against the Cavaliers, alongside 57 rebounds (with Alize Johnson leading with 11).
Nikola Vucevic had himself a nice defensive showing with nine rebounds, one steal, and one block, in only 24 minutes of play, while DeRozan contributed four rebounds and two blocks.
“I think that is where we have to set the tone: defensively,” said LaVine, after the win. “Each and every game start off physical, we have a bunch of athletes and a bunch of guys that can play multiple positions or guard multiple positions, so we’re going to have to watch each others back, but if we play physical like that we’re going to be all right.”
Okay, Javonte
Green found himself in a starting spot on Tuesday and absolutely made the best of his time there. The forward finished with 13 points in 17 minutes of play, while shooting 66.7 percent from the field. He also had eight rebounds, two steals, and four blocks.
But what he provided the Bulls, goes beyond just what can be seen in a boxscore. For starters, his switchability should certainly be applauded, as the 28-year-old saw defensive assignments on the two, three, and four spots. He also made for a very disruptive defender, quickly becoming a pest against the Cavaliers.
As for his offensive? Well, efficiency is the name of the game. Green went 6-for-9 from the field and 1-of-1 from three-point land. The undrafted baller may not hold the same starting role all year, but he will definitely be a highly-valued member of the second unit.
The Chicago Bulls will next take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
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