The Chicago Bulls are off to a 2-0 start after beating the Orlando Magic on Saturday night. The Bulls defeated the Detroit Pistons in their first game, meaning they have now beaten two playoff teams from last year to open up the season. They have two games under their belt now, and one thing has become clear—this is a deep team.
The players think depth is the team’s biggest strength. Patrick Williams confirmed that in his postgame interview with Chicago Sports Network.
“We always have the next man up mentality,” Williams told CHSN reporters, “We see [depth] as a strength of ours.” This is a strength the Bulls will have to rely on all season long.
How Deep is the Bulls’ Bench?
GettyAyo Dosunmu is shooting 50% from the floor through the first two games.
In their win over the Pistons on night one, the Bulls received 35 points from their bench. Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter combined for 29 of those points. In the 12-point win over the Magic, Chicago scored 58 points off their bench. Jalen Smith (16), Dosunmu (15), Williams (12), and Huerter (11) all scored in double digits. In total, the Bulls had seven players score more than 10 points.
The bench had to be at their best against Orlando, though. Matas Buzelis had an excellent first game, but fouled out in just 12 minutes played on Saturday. Isaac Okoro, on the other hand, has not contributed on offense at all. In fact, in 55 minutes played this season, Okoro has scored zero points and is 0-for-8 from the floor. When games similar to Saturday happen, it is all the more important for the Bench to step up.
Dosunmu and Huerter are the two go-to scorers from the bench squad. They have both put up double-digit points in the first two games. Dosunmu has made five of his nine three-point attempts and 50% of his shots.
Smith and Williams have also provided some sparks. They both played significantly better against the Magic than they did against the Pistons. Chicago will need them to keep playing the way they did Saturday night as the season progresses.
The Bulls Are Not at Full Strength Yet
GettyCoby White is currently dealing with a calf injury.
Tre Jones spoke with K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network after the win in Orlando.
“Our team continues to come together and we’re still not full strength,” Jones said.
Chicago’s bench might be their biggest strength, but it will get even stronger soon. The Bulls are currently without Zach Collins and Coby White. White will most likely slot into the starting lineup, which, assumingly, moves Okoro to a bench spot. Collins is not a starter, but he is a valuable bench big man who can give Nikola Vucevic some relief when needed.
The Bulls are only two games into the season, but their bench play is an encouraging sign. However, there are still some things to clean up. Chicago is in the bottom half of the NBA in points per game (112.5), field goal percentage (45.9%), and turnovers per game (17.5).
The team is playing well as a unit on the defensive end of the court, and the bench is a significant strength, but there are areas to improve upon. Nonetheless, Chicago is off to a great start, and the depth of the team is one of the biggest reasons.
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