Styles do indeed make the fight but the key ingredient in that statement having any truth is there has to be fight.
That’s maybe the most disappointing takeaway from the opener by the Bulls: No fight.
It was evident from the tip-off and felt through the entire building. A fight? These two opponents weren’t even in the same weight class.
Toronto was more physical, longer, more disruptive and carried out the butt-beating in methodical fashion. They were everything coach Tiago Splitter wants his Bulls team to be someday.
“The way we competed,” Splitter said of what disappointed him most in the 135-92 drubbing on Wednesday. “After a turnover, getting our heads down when running back, that’s something we cannot accept.”
The headliner in a list of things that cannot be accepted.
But before the white flags are prematurely hoisted on the 2026-27 campaign, some nuance in the first-round knockout delivered by the Raptors:
- Toronto was possibly the worst matchup the Bulls could get in an opener just because of the length and physicality.
- Rookie Caleb Wilson wasn’t deterred by his slow start or his messy ball security game, competing until he was pulled from the game.
- Rebuilds hurt.
Now comes an early-season test for this entire organization. First, how patient can Splitter be with a group that is yet to reflect his personality on the court?
As a player, Splitter grew up in the Spurs organization and with coach Gregg Popovich. It was a brand of basketball built on ball movement and unselfishness on the offensive end, and physicality and toughness on the defensive end.
Even in his one season as Portland’s interim coach last year, the Trail Blazers might not have had the skill as other teams on the offensive end, but they were a top defensive team that tried to make life difficult for the opponent on every possession.
This Bulls team is not that.
The hopeful return of Nic Claxton (hamstring) in a few weeks adds rim protection but does little in the physicality department. What Splitter has to lean on is using this team’s athleticism on the defensive side to cover up the lack of physicality.
Not an easy line to walk, especially against a team like the Raptors.
Secondly, how quickly can Game 1 be put in the rearview mirror with no lingering effects?
Besides Tre Jones and nine minutes of Zach Collins, no player on the roster should have come across the border on Thursday feeling like they played well.
Wilson had a nightmarish first half, Josh Giddey – who is now dealing with a minor left wrist issue – was far too passive in pushing the offense, and Matas Buzelis did get to the free throw line (13-of-16) but was 0-for-4 from three and let the Raptors frontcourt have their way.
Milwaukee isn’t Toronto. That’s the next opponent for the Bulls to erase what happened in the opener but also re-establish a baseline of how they want to play.
The Bucks lost their opener in Washington and are considered to be a basement dwelling team this year. If the Bulls can’t get a better sense of Splitter’s style of basketball in Milwaukee on Friday afternoon, then when?
The schedule is relentless for the next few weeks, facing Boston, New York and Philadelphia twice each, as well as defensive-minded teams like San Antonio, Atlanta and Cleveland.
Besides Milwaukee and the home opener against the Wizards on Saturday, it could be a very long three weeks if corrections aren’t made.
Was the opener against the Raptors simply rock bottom? Maybe, but either way Splitter’s patience will be tested with this group.