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The Chicago Bulls preseason opener on Sunday ended with a close 105-102 loss at the Fiserv Forum against the Milwaukee Bucks who didn't play both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
The Bucks, helmed by new coach Adrian Griffin, fielded a secondary unit as their starters. The Bulls, meanwhile, wasted no time in attempting to get their starting combination right and ironing the wrinkles that cost them a playoff berth last season.
Chicago hasn't been the same unit after losing electric point guard Lonzo Ball to an injury. They enter the 2023-24 season knowing that he won't be part of it in its entirety.
While a lot shouldn't be made out of the preseason, these games aren't completely devoid of value either as the Bulls look to rectify most of their flaws. On that note, here are some observations from the Chicago Bulls' close loss to the Bucks.
Key takeaways from Bulls loss to Bucks in preseason opener
Here are five of them:
#5 Limited minutes for the Chicago Bulls' Big 3
As expected, the Bulls' big 3 of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevoc logged in less than 20 minutes. The trio played alongside Patrick Williams and Coby White, who started as their point guard.
The onus was ball movement, which looked seamless between all three players and the young guard. In all probability, it might be the starting unit deployed in the first few games of the regular season, going by White's seamless fit alongside the trio.
#4 Addressing the 3-point production
The biggest advantage of preseason games is the opportunity to experiment. The Bulls, who have dealt with 3-point shooting issues, attempted 35 shots from beyond the arc.
That's a significant improvement from 28.9% last season. It's worth noting that they didn't drain even half of the attempts, with only 13 of those swishing through, though.
Nevertheless, it was all about the looks. ccording to the Chicago Tribune, teams in the top five usually hit around 37 shots. If the Bulls keep up the same level of production, chances are they will be draining a lot more 3s during the regular season.
#3 Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig prove they can make an impact
Both Carter and Craig proved their worth to the second unit. Carter comes in a high-volume 3-point shooter and playmaker, while Craig is all about crashing the boards and guarding multiple positions.
Carter ended with eight points, two rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes, while Craig had seven points and four rebounds. The roles seem to be clear as well. Carter is likely to shuttle between point and shooting guard duties, while Craig and Williams might be the defensive stalwarts against more offense-heavy teams.
#2 Patrick Williams brings in aggression and energy
Williams played 22 minutes, the second player to hit the 20+ minute mark, after Coby White. The forward showed that he can play at both ends of the floor, as he grabbed defensive rebounds and quickly got to the other end and let it fly.
While his rebounding still needs fine-tuning, the good news is his confidence in attempting 3-pointers, as he made three of a team-high six attempts, finishing with 13 points.
#1 Is Coby White the Chicago Bulls' new point guard?
Given that he played 23 minutes, the most by any player in the roster on Sunday, White, with his versatility and creative playmaking, make him the frontrunner to be the floor general for Chicago.
He propped up 14 points, six rebounds and six assists, and his ability to play off the ball makes him the ideal candidate.
Of course, Ayo Dosunmu will likely play a similar role in the next game if coach Billy Donovan decides to see how he fits with the big trio in the starting unit. However, following game 1 of the preseason, White has made a strong case to take over PG duties.
