It is a Bulls offense that is starting to take on the Tiago Splitter philosophy, but far from a finished product.
Very far at times.
The first-year coach has made that more than apparent on several occasions throughout the preseason, especially once the transition game is shut down and the Bulls need to generate scoring in halfcourt sets.
“We don’t have iso players on our team,” Splitter said. “We’ve got to move (the ball). We’ve got to involve more players, pick-and-roll, flare, whatever we need to create action. That’s what we’ve got to improve. We’re far from how we want to play with the quick decisions and quick reactions and better spacing.”
If that sounds familiar it should as former coach Billy Donovan frequently had that same takeaway when discussing the offense.
It’s a run-first group that can irritate opposing teams with its athleticism, but when a defense can get back and build a wall, it’s an offense that can get stuck in the mud.
The remedy?
First and foremost, keep the ball hopping in the half-second movement that Splitter has been preaching, right out of the Gregg Popovich school of offense that raised Splitter in San Antonio.
But there is another. Who is to say that rookie Caleb Wilson doesn’t develop into an isolation player? He has shown an ability to take opposing defenders off the dribble, he has a three-pointer in his bag, and he can also play the drive-and-kick game when multiple defenders gravitate to him.
No iso player? Let’s wait-and-see.
Not the only wait-and-see with this Bulls team as the regular season is now just a week away from tipping off in Toronto:
Pickle with the middle
The Bulls were hoping to have a better gauge of where they are with center play throughout the preseason, but all they’ve learned is they really have no center. At least not a healthy one.
Splitter told reporters on Tuesday that Nic Claxton (hamstring) — the projected starting center — was still out and could be out for a while. The likelihood he will be able to practice and then ramp it up in practice to get his conditioning back by next week? Forget about it.
His projected backup was Zach Collins and while the veteran was progressing from an injured quad, he has also not played in a preseason game and will have to ramp up his activity.
Jalen Smith, who actually plays more like a stretch-four, did return from a sore foot, but two-way rebounding machine Tobe Awaka (sore knee) was still sidelined.
Against Denver, when Smith was resting, Splitter had to go small up front with Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis and Leonard Miller. Cute in the preseason but considering the teams the Bulls open up the regular season with it could be tough sledding.
Battle is over
The camp battle at the forward spot actually didn’t take too long to solve, and while Splitter won’t come out and declare a winner between Miller, Noa Essengue, and Patrick Williams, he has shown enough of his hand to make that answer obvious.
Miller has been getting more of the run off the bench of the three, averaging 19.7 minutes per game, while Essengue has been second, averaging 18.8 minutes. Williams brings up the rear with 12.4 minutes per game.
There’s a good chance that when the team is fully healthy Miller is the only one of the three in the rotation.
Tre day
Now that Tre Jones is over a sore hip that cost him playing time, rookie Dailyn Swain can get back to developing as a primary ball-handler rather than being forced into that role as a reserve. If that means playing time in the G League, so be it.
Will Swain get to that level where he does crack the rotation sooner than later? Just another wait-and-see.