The Bulls got a much-needed frontcourt body back on Wednesday, but it didn’t do much to stop the bleeding in a lopsided loss to Toronto.
Zach Collins returned after sitting out the preseason with a quad injury, giving Chicago some help inside as the regular season got underway. For now, though, the Bulls are easing him in. Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Collins is expected to be held to about 12-to-16 minutes per game.
“The tough part about Zach is he didn’t play yet,” head coach Tiago Splitter said prior to Wednesday’s game vs. Toronto.
“He didn’t play much last year, so we slowly want to put him there in the rotation and see those combinations, playing double-big or not. We’re going to have time to see it, have a small sample there, but we will try different combinations.”
Collins’ first night back was quiet on the scoreboard. He played nine minutes, didn’t score, and the Bulls were steamrolled 135-92 by the Raptors. Even so, he pulled down five rebounds, and Chicago was plus-seven while he was on the floor.
The Bulls also had something else to sort through after the game: Josh Giddey revealed that he’s dealing with a left wrist issue that began in the preseason and, in his words, will need to be managed “throughout the season,” according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic. When asked whether it was a tissue injury, Giddey pointed reporters to the Bulls’ medical staff.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network reported that the 24-year-old guard was not listed on the injury report before Wednesday’s game.
Elsewhere in the Central Division, Detroit’s depth was on full display in Tuesday’s comeback win. Reserve wing Javonte Green scored 19 second-half points after not playing at all in the first half, and the Pistons leaned on that kind of balance to finish the job.
“We’ve got a high level of trust in everybody on our roster,” J.B. Bickerstaff said.
“We know that at any point in time, we’ve got a guy that we can put in depending on what the mood calls for.” Jalen Duren echoed that sentiment: “That’s what makes us a team, you know?
Having guys on a deep team, guys who can come in and make plays automatically, guys who know their roles and play their roles to the best of their abilities - that’s how we get wins like this. That’s how we become successful.”
There was also news tied to Cleveland’s future. Saliou Niang has been cleared by the NCAA to play for LSU this season, according to Sportando, with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress confirming the report. Niang, the 58th overall pick in the 2025 draft, will now be a domestic draft-and-stash player for the Cavs after spending last season with Virtus Bologna in Italy.
And in New Orleans, the Pacers took an early step they can build on. More than a year removed from their Game 7 loss to Oklahoma City in the 2025 NBA Finals, Indiana still has most of the players from that night on the roster, and Tony East of Forbes wrote that the defeat continues to fuel them. The Pacers also had a strong showing Wednesday in Tyrese Haliburton’s first regular season game since April 2025, outlasting the Pelicans 123-120 as Haliburton finished with 23 points and 12 assists.
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Leonard Miller Is Giving The Bulls A Patrick Williams Problem
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Josh Giddey Put A Bulls Roster Question Front And Center
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For the Bulls, this is about more than one opener. Giddey can still fill box scores and help move the ball, but Chicago needs more than activity from him if he is going to be a reliable piece of the offense. His future with the team will hinge on whether he can turn those possessions into a real and sustainable edge, rather than just passing flashes that do not fully tilt the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Face An Early Test They Can't Afford To Flunk
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That makes the matchup with the Raptors more than just another opening-night game. Chicago is expected to give young players real responsibility right away, and Caleb Wilson is among the prospects who could be thrust into a prominent role as the season begins. For a Bulls team trying to establish a new identity, early performances like this one matter, because they can reveal whether the rebuild is ahead of schedule or still in the early stages of figuring itself out. [Read more 🡒]