If the Chicago Bulls had been hoping to set a tone to open the 2023-24 season, they picked a bleak one.
For practically three quarters Wednesday on the United Center, they hung tight with a younger Oklahoma City Thunder squad. With somewhat greater than three minutes left within the third quarter, the Bulls trailed by one.
But in a matter of minutes, calamity struck. Nikola Vučević sacrificed two factors by way of technical free throws earned by speaking again to the referees. A handful of jumpers later and the Thunder all of a sudden led by 9.
The quarter ended, giving the Bulls time to compose themselves. Instead they allowed the Thunder to sink three consecutive 3-pointers to open the ultimate quarter, sinking into the sludge of a 16-point deficit they couldn’t overcome.
Fans exited early from the season opener because the Bulls misplaced 124-104.
Here are six takeaways from the sport.
1. Zach LaVine suffered a sluggish begin.
Zach LaVine was keen to start out recent after getting into final yr hindered by a sluggish restoration from knee surgical procedure. But his first outing on the United Center was equally sluggish as he struggled to seek out his shot.
LaVine went 0-for-4 from the sector within the first half, scoring all six of his factors off free throws. He sat the final 10 minutes of the half after choosing up three fouls and turning the ball over 4 occasions.
After opening the second half with a direct 3-pointer, LaVine’s off-shooting night time continued. He completed 4-for-16 from the sector and went 2-for-9 from behind the arc. And regardless of working to the rim persistently within the first half, he wasn’t capable of earn one other free throw within the second, leaving his scoring at 16 factors.
2. The Bulls confirmed stable 3-point taking pictures amount however lacked high quality.
The Bulls entered the season with one primary offensive aim: take extra 3-pointers.
That enchancment was rapidly made. The Bulls took 42 3-pointers Wednesday. The drawback was none of these pictures fell with regularity. The Bulls went 6-for-23 within the first half from behind the arc; they completed 12-for-42. With the Thunder taking pictures 19-for-39, it was practically unimaginable for the Bulls to maintain tempo on the offensive finish.
“There wasn’t really a rhythm,” LaVine stated. “It might not have been the right shot at the right time. So I think we’ve gotta work at that because once you get down, you start forcing things to get back into the game, see what works, what doesn’t. At that point, the game was a struggle.”
DeMar DeRozan took three makes an attempt from behind the arc (ending 1-for-3) to keep up an uptick in his long-range taking pictures quantity from the preseason. He was one in all solely three gamers to complete above 30% from behind the arc. Torrey Craig went 3-for-4 and Ayo Dosunmu went 2-for-4, with each of his makes coming in rubbish time.
LaVine went 2-for-9 from behind the arc, Coby White 2-for-7 and Patrick Williams completed 0-for-4.
3. A poor end elicited a group assembly.
Frustration was excessive after the loss, main gamers to ask coach Billy Donovan to provide them area for dialog instantly following the sport.
Vučević described the dialog as “constructive” and crucial, with gamers voicing their opinions with out yelling or dropping management.
“I think it’s good that we had those,” Vučević stated. “It was needed. It was just regular discussions of what needed to be done. It wasn’t nothing crazy, no fighting, none of that. Just really constructive. It’s maybe one of the first times since I’ve been here that it was like this and it was really needed.”
But the quick necessity for intense dialog mirrored the poor footing the Bulls are on to start out the season.
4. The offense succeeded in two key areas.
The Bulls are judging their offense by two different key statistics this season: offensive rebounds and free throws. Both assist to seize the depth with which the Bulls are attacking the paint and the rim, which is essential to balancing the ground and creating extra 3-point alternatives.
Both statistics had been constructive for the Bulls within the opener. They matched the Thunder with 18 free throw makes an attempt (Oklahoma City went 15-for-18, Chicago went 14-for-18). And the Bulls out-rebounded the Thunder 13-5 on the offensive boards to tally 19 second-chance factors.
5. A tepid begin for Patrick Williams.
No participant will fall beneath a extra targeted microscope this season than Patrick Williams, whose first outing was comparatively lukewarm.
Williams was the one starter to not tally double-digit scoring, ending with eight factors. But he additionally recorded a -3 +/- ranking — second solely to LaVine amongst starters — partly as a result of his constant defending, which included two steals.
Williams nonetheless lacked a number of the physicality the Bulls hope to attract out of him. He didn’t file a rebound till halfway by means of the third quarter and didn’t draw a foul. But a number of of his athletic strikes to the basket showcased a baseline for a way he could make an affect as a starter.
6. Andre Drummond welcomed Chet Holmgren to the NBA.
Every NBA participant has a “welcome to the league” story — that second after they went toe-to-toe with knowledgeable for the primary time and ended up worse for the wear and tear.
For Thunder star Chet Holmgren, that second got here Wednesday by the hands of Bulls middle Andre Drummond.
This is technically a rookie season for Holmgren, who missed final season with a foot damage after he was chosen No. 2 general within the 2022 NBA draft. Holmgren recorded a powerful rookie debut with 11 factors — however he additionally hit the deck trying to protect Drummond within the second quarter.
Drummond poked the ball out of Holmgren’s arms on the prime of the important thing, then took the ball full-court, crossing up Holmgren and sending the 7-footer tumbling to the hardwood on his method to the rim for a layup.
The play was a spotlight in a stable night time from Drummond, who completed with six factors and 5 rebounds off the bench.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com