Post-game reactions to the Chicago Bulls preseason opener

Chicago Bulls basketball is finally back. The Bulls opened up their preseason in a home matchup versus the pesky New Orleans Pelicans. While the Bulls did fall 129-125, there was a lot to dissect from this game beyond who won and who lost.

The Chicago Bulls showed a lot of grit today, especially the bench players

The Bulls were getting blown out for most of the game. The starters did not do anything spectacular, but Demar Derozan and Nikola Vucevic played up to par with what is expected from them. Demar finished with 21 points, 5/9 FG, and 11/12 FT. Vuc finished with a double-double, 15 points, 11 rebounds, and his defense was spectacular tonight, as shown by his three steals and four blocks. Vuc was a pleasant surprise tonight was a lot more confident than we saw last season.

The rest of the starting lineup did not do anything too noteworthy, but Ayo Dosunmu did have 10 points and flashed a new confidence in his jumper. What really stood out was Javonte Green’s energy off the bench. He scored 18 points off the bench and was all over the place chasing down rebounds and getting to the basket offensively. He is such a great player to have on your team because he just makes winning plays.

Another bright spot was Dalen Terry, who got 17 minutes in his first NBA game, all in the second half. Terry finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, along with two steals. He showed the type of player he is right off the bat, as he was targeted in isolation by Davonte Graham. Terry was clamping Graham, but unfortunately reached just as Graham was about to hold his dribble. That energy though was there the whole night from Terry, especially after he flashed some offensive prowess that surprised me to say the least.

Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic made their Chicago Bull debuts today, and neither really was anything to write home about. Dragic showed that he still can lead an offense, but he has lost some of his craftiness that made him a star in the league. Drummond demonstrated his physicality in the paint and his tenacious rebounding, but he is a liability with the ball in his hands. Poor passing and bad footwork led to a plethora of Drummond turnovers.

Overall, the team seemed to lack some chemistry tonight, especially on offense. Things were a bit stagnant in the first half, with the starters showing a lot of the same weaknesses we saw at the end of last year. The defense also was porous tonight, as expected with preseason play.

Pay attention to the point guard rotation next game against the Nuggets, as well as how much playing time Dalen Terry gets compared to other wings on the team. After his performance against the Pelicans, Terry might get the Ayo treatment that we saw last year. Still lots to learn about who the Chicago Bulls will be this year.