The NBA preseason is a time for daydreaming about what could be. And this particular Bulls season raises some more exciting “what ifs” than usual.
What if Caleb Wilson, their hotshot No. 4 draft pick, turns out to be the real deal? What if Matas Buzelis makes a proper third-year leap? What if the Wilson-Buzelis tandem shows itself as a foundation to build on?
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Friday against the Grizzlies, however, the Bulls got to ponder a more sobering possibility. What if the team has to play without their big men?
The Bulls’ two centers, Zach Collins (quad) and Nic Claxton (hamstring) are both dealing with injuries that have kept them out of training camp. Friday a third big man was added to the list: Jalen Smith sat out with left foot soreness.
In addressing the hole in the front court, Coach Tiago Splitter — not a small man himself — kept it real.
“It is a concern,” he said. “I gotta be honest with you. We gotta be careful with their minutes throughout the season. We probably do have to have every night like a three-man rotation at the five position.
“It’s a little bit what the league is also asking. The way the league is playing: physical, fast. Sometimes a seven-footer cannot play for 35 minutes, so you gotta divide those minutes with three big men running up and down.”
Sounds like a reasonable plan for when all three return in the regular season. But there’s no guarantee of a full bill of health at the center position, especially given that Collins and Claxton have both been bogged down by injuries in recent years.
Which could spell trouble in the paint. Tobe Awaka, the undrafted rookie who had to start at center, barely measured up to Grizzlies center Zach Edey’s shoulders. Grizzlies rookie Cameron Boozer — drafted one slot ahead of Wilson at No. 3 — consistently outmuscled the Bulls’ wings.
Chicago offered no real resistance down low — and this was against the rebuilding Grizzlies.
Yes, frontcourt depth is definitely something for Splitter to worry about in the short-term. But the Bulls are in the very beginning stages of a rebuild. The real hope and excitement is about the future. And the vision built around young players flashed a little promise Friday night in the 104-to-100 loss to Memphis.
Wilson found his three-point stroke after a difficult first half, going 5-for-11 from deep and finishing with 21 points. Buzelis got into his mid-range bag before leaving with an ankle injury. Even rookie Dailyn Swain, who struggled in Summer League and is getting a chance at point guard with Tre Jones out, looked a little more comfortable running the offense.
It’s just a matter of getting the whole system to click.
“Knowing the team that we have, our roster, young guys, of course we want to play fast, but we still want to be organized,” Splitter said. “Still want to have good shots. Touch the paint. Try to create advantage that way and then spray the ball out.
“Win the possession game, rebound game, take care of the ball and create turnovers.”
Splitter said that after their first preseason game against the Suns the team was “far from where we want to be with quick decisions and quick reactions.”
That continued to be an issue Friday night; turnovers halted fast breaks, and the half-court offense flowed only here and there.
“I don’t like how we started the game,” Splitter said. “We were stuck in mud. Slow thinking, slow feet. Not aggressive enough. Third quarter was much better. That’s how we gotta play.”
Notes
- Jaylin Sellers also missed Friday’s game with back soreness.