Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
The Chicago Bulls lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 114-105 in their final preseason game on Thursday night at the United Center.
Here are 10 observations on defeat:
—Zach LaVine sat out due to illness and Andre Drummond missed the contest for personal reasons. LaVine’s absence deprived coach Billy Donovan of the opportunity to play the regular rotation minutes he had planned for his starters. In fact, LaVine, who played in three of the five preseason games, never logged fourth-quarter minutes. But Donovan didn’t think the illness would be a long-term issue. And LaVine played well in his limited action, particularly when attacking the rim. He shot 13 of 17 (76.5 percent) and averaged 17 points in 23.7 minutes. “It would have been nice to have a full cast of people who could move the pieces,” Donovan said. “But that won’t be the case, so other guys will get a chance too.”
—One of those guys was Alex Caruso, who returned after missing two games with a minor right ankle injury. Caruso said he could have played both games had it ended up in the regular season and he is enjoying the defensive chemistry he is developing with Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter in the second unit. In fact, Donovan Ayo Dosunmu started for LaVine in a clear attempt to keep the trio together in the second unit. Caruso finished the game with seven points and four assists in 18 minutes.
—During a 10-1 run in the first quarter, the Bulls looked as good offensively as they had in the previous season. Patrick Williams delivered an energetic dunk on the baseline. DeMar DeRozan missed a good three-point shot to give Nikola Vucevic a better shot. In general, the Bulls were more focused on increasing their 3-point attempts. They got 10 in the first quarter alone. That’s the good news. The bad news is that they only scored two goals, with Williams missing all five.
—Donovan used Williams and DeRozan as starters to stagger with the second unit. The Timberwolves were good offensively throughout the preseason and enjoyed the smaller unit with Craig serving as the small-ball center. Andre Drummond missed the game for personal reasons. The Timberwolves outscored the Bulls’ second unit 16-9 in a nearly six-minute span that spanned the first and second quarters. This came despite playing without Karl Anthony-Towns, who sat out of precaution. Minnesota still has plenty of size with Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid.
—The second unit performed better in subsequent stints. Carter and Caruso routinely took over the entire field, often at the same time, and you can see how much havoc they can wreak. Especially when Dosunmu plays with Caruso, Craig and Carter.
—DeRozan didn’t score until the second quarter, then scored nine straight points on two traditional three-point plays and a Craig-assisted 3-pointer. Offensively, DeRozan was largely quiet in the preseason. But he took advantage of this stretch in which the Timberwolves played mostly in the zone. He finished with 11 points in 30 minutes.
—Williams, who was substituted early in the final game and challenged by Donovan, attempted to overpower Rudy Gobert in the final minute of the first half. This is one way to answer questions about aggressiveness. Williams committed a foul in the game and sank both free throws. Williams entered after attempting four free throws in the first four preseason games. Against Minnesota, he shot 4-4 from the line. He didn’t perform well on the field, finishing the game 3-for-12, including 0-for-7 from 3-point range.
“He shot the ball really poorly and everyone still felt his presence in the game,” Donovan said. “He made some great passes. He reached the target. He bounced. I give him credit.”
Donovan even joked that it was a good thing Williams cramped up late in the game because he was expending so much energy.
—The Timberwolves did not play Anthony Edwards or Gobert in the second half. Edwards scored 19 goals in just 20 minutes of the first half, continuing his rise as a star. The Bulls took turns defending Edwards and sending multiple bodies at him. He shot 8 of 13 and drove defenders past multiple screens.
—Vucevic posted his second straight double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, making his first appearance this preseason in the fourth quarter. The Bulls opened Game 4 with four starters and Carter against the back end of the Timberwolves’ roster. They didn’t take advantage and even played it out within 4 minutes.
—The Bulls made over 30 3-pointers in five preseason games for only the second time in the regular season. (They scored 38 points in the second overtime win over the Nuggets, but only scored 29 points in regulation.) They had been shooting well at low volume, but this time they flipped the script and scored more, but shot just a bad rate.
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