Defense defeats Detroit

The Chicago Bulls had their first back-to-back game of the season last night against the Pistons, who they had played for their season opener. I expected the Bulls to come out a little slow & sluggish, considering they played the night before but having beaten them just a couple games ago I thought they’d get another win. NBA “experts” & “analysts” had said during the offseason that Demar Derozan would not fit with the Bulls, but he has proven them wrong. They also said that the Bulls would not be a good team defensively and after 3 games played— the Bulls lead the NBA in defensive rating. The UC was booming as always & the atmosphere once again seemed electric. The Bulls are showtime & they showed it last night.

Honestly, there isn’t much to say—at least from me. The Bulls came out slow on offense & defense during the first few minutes but they recognized that they need to increase their intensity. The offense was stagnant during the beginning of the game but Vooch kept us in it with a few quick buckets followed by DDR’s elite mid-range game towards the end of the first. Demar is looking like an excellent fit as a great offensive wing who also plays solid defense. Vooch has been seeming pretty off these first few games with a lot of point-blank misses & at moments, kind of lazy. Lonzo is going to stay Lonzo as an elite rebounding & playmaking point guard. Zach had an off night but something that is not concerning; this would have been a concern a year ago when the Bulls didn’t have a second or third scorer. The Bulls are constantly moving the ball & look for the right shots. The transition game wasn’t the same tonight but they did play a game the night before. The whole Bulls team showed up including the bench, something that is a must during the second game of a back-to-back.

The second half is where the Bulls really showed their defensive tenacity. Billy Donovan must’ve said something during halftime but the intensity was present from the beginning of the second half. The Bulls were playing with active hands, passing lanes, & double-digit blocks & steals. Zo being able to guard positions 1-4 allows the Bulls to avoid switching on PnRs & avoid sending a double team. Caruso is so active on defense that it’s becoming contagious, other Bulls come in & want to play defense—something that wasn’t present last year. Javonte Green is Javonte Green. Seeing Ayo play is always great to see, your local kid from Morgan Park playing for his hometown team. Ayo plays great defense & will definitely work his way into a consistent role in the rotation. Basically, the Bulls second half defense made the Pistons look like they belonged in the G-League. You love to see it.

Bulls get a day off before facing the Toronto Raptors in Toronto on Monday night. Toronto is sort of in a rebuilding phase & their rookie Scottie Barnes is pretty nice. Regardless, this is another game that the Bulls should be able to win. I expect Demar to play well again considering that was his team for nine years & should be familiar with the atmosphere. Bulls are sitting atop the entire NBA as the best team in the NBA & I can see it sustaining; elite defense & multiple scorers on the team can allow for that. Get hype, Bulls fans!