The Bulls are heading into a new kind of preseason test Sunday night, and it comes on the road against a Nuggets group that still brings plenty of muscle even if Denver chooses to sit some of its biggest names.
Chicago has spent this preseason at home, but now the young roster gets thrown into a tougher setting against one of the league’s most stable teams. Denver is built around veteran know-how, and that’s true even in a game where stars could be limited. Former Bull DeMar DeRozan could also be part of the mix after joining the Nuggets this offseason.
There’s extra intrigue on Chicago’s side, too. Rookie Caleb Wilson said on Media Day that Nikola Jokic was a player he used to study closely, explaining that back in high school he watched Jokic’s film to sharpen his passing and overall feel for the game before his athleticism fully came around.
For the Bulls, the matchup also highlights a lingering issue up front. They still don’t have much frontcourt depth, and that could matter against Jokic and Denver’s size.
Tobe Awaka had to start Game 2 of the preseason, while Leonard Miller handled some small-ball five duties. If Jalen Smith or Zach Collins remain unavailable, Chicago may need to turn to Exhibit 10 big Orlando Robinson just to get more size on the floor.
Chicago is also short several players who are expected to matter once the regular season begins. Tre Jones and Jaylin Sellers are both out, and their absences have added to the preseason rotation crunch. Jones is expected to play a major role behind Josh Giddey as a steady facilitator for the team’s young wings, while Sellers impressed at Summer League and drew repeated praise from Tiago Splitter as a potential scoring spark.
The Bulls are also monitoring Matas Buzelis, who left the last preseason game early with an ankle issue. Buzelis said the move was mostly precautionary, but he remains a game-time decision for Sunday.
Chicago’s injury list for the night includes Buzelis as a game-time decision with an ankle injury, while Tre Jones is out with a hip issue, Zach Collins is out with a quad injury, Jalen Smith is out with a foot injury, and Jaylin Sellers is out with a back injury.
The game is set for 8:00 PM CT at the United Center and will be shown on Chicago Sports Network.
Projected lineups: Bulls: Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, Tobe Awaka Nuggets: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
In Other News...
Leonard Miller Is Giving Bulls A Frontcourt Decision To Make
Leonard Miller made the kind of preseason statement that can complicate a frontcourt picture fast. In Chicagos 133-128 loss to Denver at Ball Arena, the young big man came off the bench and looked anything like a fringe piece, giving the Bulls a lively scoring punch while the rest of the offense also found some rhythm from deep. The night had plenty of the usual preseason context, but Millers energy and production stood out in a game where Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic carried the Nuggets enough to escape with the win.
For a Bulls team still sorting out how its big-man rotation should look, that performance mattered more than the final score. Chicago hit shots from three-point range and stayed in the fight, but the game was also a reminder of how messy preseason can get when whistles pile up and the line becomes a problem. Miller gave the coaching staff something tangible to think about, and after a night like that, the decision around the frontcourt suddenly feels less straightforward than it did before tipoff. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Have A Backcourt Decision That Could Pay Off Big
The Bulls backcourt picture remains one of the more interesting parts of their roster puzzle, and Tre Jones has quickly become a name worth watching as the front office weighs its options. After a strong showing last season, Jones has given Chicago a useful blend of age, production and flexibility, which is exactly the kind of profile that can make a player both important to a team and appealing to the rest of the league.
What makes the situation tricky is the fit. Jones is still young enough to matter in the long term, but he also sits in a contract structure that gives the Bulls room to think carefully about timing and value. If Chicago decides to make him available, the interest could be real, since teams are always looking for guards who can help now without closing the door on future moves. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls May Be Forced Into An Unusual Answer At Center
Chicagos preseason has already been shaped by a string of health issues, with Zach Collins, Nic Claxton, Tre Jones, Jaylin Sellers and Jalen Smith all dealing with injuries at one point or another. None of the concerns are viewed as long-term, but the Bulls have been forced to think a little differently about how they want to handle the middle of the floor while Tiago Splitter sorts through a lineup that still has plenty of moving parts.
Splitter has pointed to both the injury situation and the teams up-tempo approach as reasons the center spot may need a different kind of distribution than usual. The result could be an unusual rotation plan as Chicago tries to keep its big men fresh and available, while also making sure the pace the Bulls want to play does not leave the frontcourt exposed early in the season. [Read more 🡒]