Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
The Chicago Bulls lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 105-102 on Sunday afternoon in both teams’ season opener at the FiServ Forum.
Here are 10 observations on defeat:
—The teams took different approaches to the matinee affair. In his debut as an NBA head coach, former Bulls player and assistant coach Adrian Griffin relied on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton. Meanwhile, Bulls coach Billy Donovan followed a familiar pattern by bringing in veterans who don’t like sitting out games and starting Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.
—As expected, Coby White and Patrick Williams made the starting lineup. While Donovan told reporters in Milwaukee that no point guard stood out in the competition for the starting job between White, Jevon Carter and Ayo Dosunmu, it could be White’s job to lose. It makes sense to keep White and Williams as a pair after the chemistry they showed last season after Williams moved to a reserve role. Additionally, the development of White and Williams is crucial to the future of the franchise.
—As Donovan suggested at media day last week, he “overwhelmed” Williams and brought in Torrey Craig as the first reserve after 7 minutes, 28 seconds of the first quarter. Williams then began the second quarter with the rest of the reserve unit – Dosunmu, Carter, Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond.
—Donovan has said multiple times that his rotation will be a work in progress throughout the preseason and that there could be tweaks during the regular season. But a second unit of Carter, Dosunmu, Caruso, Craig and Drummond has tremendous defensive potential and went 3:06 into the final of the first. Caruso, who spoke about the unit’s potential in this sitdown with NBC Sports Chicago, followed with a steal in their first minute together.
—The Bulls made 12 of their 35 3-pointers in the opening quarter. Several attempts came either in transition or on the drive-and-kick following “paint attacks,” a major topic of conversation and focus in training camp. It’s well-documented that last season, the Bulls were the only team in the NBA that didn’t attempt at least 30 3-point attempts per game. Overall, the Bulls shot 13-for-35 from 3-point range.
—Carter, Drummond and Craig started the second half, while LaVine (nine points, three assists), DeRozan (seven points, one block) and Vucevic (four points, four rebounds) played only the first half. Vucevic only made one three-pointer out of his three shots, as the Bulls tried to use Vucevic more as an offensive focal point and in the middle post.
—However, the offense will still be a work in progress. The starters returned in the second quarter, which saw stagnation on several possessions. Overall, though, it’s clear that the Bulls are trying to play faster, both in transition and in the halfcourt with paint attacks and drive-and-kicks. The Bulls outscored the Bucks in fast break points 25-17.
—Williams played 22 minutes and took two shots outside of sequences in which he grabbed a defensive rebound, dribbled up and let it fly. In addition to a dunk attempt in traffic, Williams played with remarkable aggression. He finished the game with 13 points and two rebounds. Williams still needs to improve his rebounding; Donovan has talked about wanting to see him more average. But he made a team-high six 3-pointers, making it three.
—Craig has talked about giving a team a competitive edge and toughness, which he felt was a little lacking in those areas when playing against the Bulls. He made an immediate impact with his minutes in the starting lineup in the first quarter, playing with energy and power on both ends. Craig finished the game with seven points, four rebounds and two steals in 19 minutes.
—White logged a team-high 23 minutes and finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals. He really shined on both ends, especially by constantly pushing the pace and trying to attack the paint. White finished with two turnovers, but showed his poise with a diving pass in traffic to Williams for a basket.
“I noticed it this summer when I visited him in June. He looked physically different. The ball seemed a little firmer for him,” Donovan told reporters in Milwaukee after the game. “I think his confidence with the ball has really grown.”
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