Makes, Misses, and Grades: Bulls Get Rude Awakening in Ugly Opening Loss to Raptors

The Chicago Bulls may want to consider putting an airplane vomit bag under each seat at the United Center this year.

Coming into their highly anticipated first matchup of the year, the Bulls had their single-worst opening night performance in franchise history. The Toronto Raptors ran them off the Scotiabank Arena floor, winning 135-92 and forcing the Bulls into more turnovers than assists.

There is no question that the loss will not sit well in the stomachs of eager fans. However, it's arguably an important reminder of what this season is all about. The Bulls are in a rebuild, folks. If you didn't fully recognize that before, you better now! The goal this season will simply be to develop young pieces, and a brutal loss like this will teach some very valuable lessons.

The Makes ...

• I was told if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all!

• Fine ... I'm kidding. First of all, let's remember two things: (1) This is Night 1 of an 82-game season, and (2) the Bulls are at the beginning stages of a rebuild. There were very few scenarios where they started the year against an experienced Toronto squad and came out on top. Now, could it have looked better? Sure, but this is all part of the process for a developing Bulls team.

• Hey, there were at least shades of how the Bulls want to play! Defense has been a major talking point in training camp and preseason. While no one is going to give the Bulls a cookie for their efforts on that end tonight, they at least tried to up their physicality as the game went on. Toronto shot just 44.9 percent from the field and was mostly kept in check on the glass. With that said, the main problem was that the Bulls couldn't stop fouling, which is something we saw time and again in the preseason.

• Did someone say fouling!? If the Bulls deserve credit in any other department, it would be in their own ability to get to the charity stripe. We saw Tre Jones, Norman Powell, and Matas Buzelis do a good job of putting consistent pressure on the rim. They helped push the Bulls to a 34-47 night from the free throw line. All things considered, this team is built to get to the line pretty frequently, so at least they checked that box.

• Everyone got to play! Tiago Splitter turned to Noa Essengue in the second half, along with two-way players Jaylin Sellers and Tobe Awaka. All three brought some real energy to the floor and had their moments. Did it really change much for the game as a whole? No, but it was a great experience for those three against legitimate NBA competition.

The Misses ...

• Tiago Splitter paid homage to Billy Donovan with a timeout less than 2 minutes into the game. The Chicago Bulls were punched in the mouth from the opening tip, as the Raptors forced an early pair of turnovers and cruised to a 7-0 start. Unfortunately, Splitter's meeting at the bench didn't fix much. Not only were the Chicago Bulls ice cold from the field, but their defense looked downright lost. The Raptors had 12 of their 34 fastbreak points in the first quarter alone and penetrated the paint with ease. Save us, Nic Claxton!

• Chicago's lack of ball-handling was also painfully apparent from the jump. They started the game with 11 turnovers in the first half, finishing the night with a jarring 27. The halfcourt offense was a complete slog. It wasn't until Caleb Wilson started to find some cutting lanes that the Bulls found the slightest bit of an offensive rhythm. Still, Chicago just didn't handle the ball pressure of this Raptors defense well in the slightest. Even Josh Giddey was having a hard time finding his teammates. He attacked the rim multiple times, only to bail and look for failed dump-offs or kick-outs. It was a rough look, but a reminder that he's still getting a feel for his new teammates.

• Remember those concerns about three-point shooting? Welp! The Bulls started the night 0-7 from long range. It wasn't until Caleb Wilson found an open look in the corner that the team got one to land. Still, the Bulls finished the first two quarters just 2-20 from deep. This played a massive part in their staggering 28.9 percent shooting effort in the first half. Yes, you read that right. They would go on to finish the evening with a mere 27-85 performance from the field and 4-36 behind the arc.

• This probably goes without saying, considering what is written above, but the ball movement we saw in the preseason was just non-existent. Bulls couldn't get the opportunities they wanted in the open floor, and the length of Toronto continued to cut off passing lanes. This led to Chicago having a mere 16 assists on 27 made baskets. More turnovers than assists? Always bad!

5 Player Grades

Jalen Smith – B
10 PTS (5-10 FG), 8 REB, 1 AST

I'm not sure anyone deserves an A-grade after this one, so let's give Jalen Smith the highest mark with a B. He scored the team's first 8 points on the night and did a decent job trailing for putbacks and fighting on the glass. Nevertheless, he surely didn't help much in keeping the Raptors in check defensively.

Caleb Wilson – B-
16 PTS (7-21 FG, 1-8 3PT), 4 REB, 3 STL

Fans aren't going to consider this a particularly memorable opening night for Wilson, but he had his moments. The rookie rocked the rim a few different times, including on a fantastic drive that saw him put Trayce Jackson-Davis on a poster. He also became the first Bull to have three steals in his NBA debut since Derrick Rose, per CHSN.

Matas Buzelis – C+
17 PTS (2-8 FG, 0-4 3PT), 6 REB, 2 BLK

Matas Buzelis, like his teammates, really struggled to find a rhythm against this Toronto defense. Having said that, he at least recognized the struggles and attempted to adjust. This is what led to him finishing with a career-high 13-16 from the free throw line. That's something the Bulls can work with.

Norman Powell – C
15 PTS (3-9 FG, 2-6 3PT), 5 REB, 1 AST

The Bulls could have used a lot more from Norman Powell in the scoring department. Still, he deserves credit for his ability to force whistles. The veteran went 7-11 from the free throw line and did what he could to keep the Bulls alive.

Josh Giddey – D
2 PTS (1-10 FG, 0-4 3PT), 7 REB, 6 AST

While he started the night with a few quick dimes, Josh Giddey spiraled out of control as the game went on. He committed five turnovers and ended the evening with a -39. There were major issues attacking off the bounce and getting clean looks at the rim. The frustration also boiled over, as Giddey was T'd up in the second half. Flush it. Move on.

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