Bulls Preseason Game No. 1: Evaluating the New Faces

The Chicago Bulls found themselves in a familiar spot on Monday night in their preseason opener. The new-look Bulls fell 85-81 to the team that ended their postseason run last season: the Washington Wizards.
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Although the preseason has little effect on the regular season, the “Wiz Kids” have become quite a thorn in the Bulls’ side in recent months.
Monday’s opener brought the debuts of five new faces to the Bulls franchise. We’ll take a look at how the new faces fared in their new place, starting with arguably the most underrated signing of the summer.
Pau Gasol – 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks
Even in the preseason debut, Pau Gasol looked like “FIBA Pau”. Gasol’s performance during the FIBA World Cup for Spain was one of the best overall individual performances for the participating countries. His hot run from the summer continued in a 25-minute showing on Monday night. Gasol was tied for the highest plus-minus on the roster (+6) and shot 3-for-7 in his Bulls debut.
(Carlos who?)
Pau Gasol's three blocked shots last night were more than Carlos Boozer ever had in a regular-season game in his #Bulls career
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) October 7, 2014
Nikola Mirotic – 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
The long-anticipated debut of 23-year-old Euroleague star Nikola Mirotic was an impressive one. In 22 minutes, Mirotic scored a team-high 17 points and pulled down five rebounds. The 6’10” power forward was 3-for-5 from long range, including a pull-up three that made Bulls fans stop for a second in amazement.
(Yeah, the kid’s got range.)
Solomon Jones – No points in 12 minutes
Sure, Solomon Jones isn’t going to light it up on a nightly basis, but it was a good sign for Jones that he got some minutes on Monday night. Jones is an “end of the bench”-type guy for the Bulls that should be able to eat up some frontcourt minutes not just in Joakim Noah‘s absence on Tuesday night (precautionary reasons/rest), but throughout the upcoming season.
Jones, 30, is a 6’10”, 235-pound forward from South Florida, who was a second-round pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. The Bulls and Jones agreed to a one-year veteran minimum contract on September 26th. Chicago is Jones’ seventh career stop.
Doug McDermott – 8 points in 26 minutes
Doug McDermott got off to a solid start in his preseason debut for the Bulls. McDermott looked sharp on the offensive end (2/4 from the floor, 3/5 from the free throw line) by moving without the basketball and getting in position to score. What I really liked last night was seeing “McBuckets” drain a “corner three” in the second quarter. (I spoke on how McDermott could crack the regular season rotation by adding that element to his game last week. You can read that article here.)
McDermott saw his bulk of minutes with the second unit (Brooks-Hinrich-Mirotic-Gibson) who did struggle on the defensive end for spurts, but it’s early October. Give the kid some time with Tom Thibodeau in the new film room for the Bulls and adjustments will be made quickly.
Aaron Brooks – 6 points, 3 assists in 22 minutes
The next Tom Thibodeau backup point guard protege in Chicago: Aaron Brooks. Even in a 2-for-7 shooting night in his Bulls debut, Brooks showed glimpses that he is capable of running the all-important second unit.
One thing I noticed about Brooks from last night: He fits the mold of the Nate Robinson/D.J. Augustin role. Brooks doesn’t fear having to create his own shot if the offense breaks down and the shot clock’s winding down. His two three-pointers last night helped show his veteran aggressiveness.
Thoughts + what’s next for the Bulls
Overall, it was a solid start for the Bulls. Winning and losing in the preseason isn’t vital. Developing early-season chemistry, getting into shape and keeping your stars healthy and ready to go is what matters.
Tuesday night, the Bulls travel to The Palace at Auburn Hills to take on their Central Divsion rival, the Detroit Pistons. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 CT. Joakim Noah will not play for the Bulls in Detroit due to offseason knee surgery. Noah will sit for precautionary reasons on the second of a back-to-back for the Bulls, while point guard Derrick Rose is a game-time decision. Both played and started on Monday night.