For a half in Denver, the Bulls looked like a group that might actually be onto something. They buried 13 of 25 shots from behind the arc, piled up 41 points in the second quarter and carried a 68-59 lead into the locker room. Then the Nuggets flipped the switch, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic took over, and Chicago walked out of Ball Arena with a 133-128 preseason loss Sunday night.
The final result only matters so much in October. Leonard Miller, though, made sure his night mattered.
Coming off the bench, Miller poured in 26 points in 22 minutes and did it efficiently, going 11 of 14 from the field and 4 of 6 from three while adding seven rebounds. His second-half burst summed up the performance: he opened the third quarter with a three off a Caleb Wilson pass, then immediately turned around and fed Wilson for a dunk. Later, after Denver’s second unit stretched the margin to seven midway through the fourth, Miller answered with Chicago’s next nine points in under two minutes, knocking down two finishes at the rim and a step-back three.
That followed a 12-point, 11-rebound outing against Memphis on Friday. With Nic Claxton, Zach Collins and Tobe Awaka all sidelined, Miller is no longer just filling a spot in camp. He’s the most productive big Tiago Splitter has available right now.
Chicago’s shooting held up across the night. Buddy Hield hit four threes in the first half, Jalen Smith knocked down three in 14 minutes in his first game back from a foot issue, and the Bulls finished 21 of 50 from deep.
The ball moved, too: Chicago had 34 assists on 47 made baskets, and Josh Giddey accounted for eight of those with just one turnover. If Splitter wants this team to lean into movement and pace, the offensive side already has some real shape.
The other end was a mess.
The Bulls were whistled for 31 fouls, nearly doubling Denver’s 16, and the Nuggets cashed in with 32 made free throws on 46 attempts. Chicago shot 18 free throws for the game.
Gordon scored 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting, and Jokic posted 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 26 minutes. Denver won the third quarter 40-26, and once Giddey’s free throws put Chicago ahead 89-88 with 2:47 left in that period, the Bulls never led again.
They did at least make things interesting late. Orlando Robinson hit a three with 1:30 remaining to pull Chicago within 126-125, but Denver answered at the line, and Drew Peterson’s three with 15.9 seconds left only trimmed the final margin.
Matas Buzelis started and played 23 minutes two days after spraining his right ankle against Memphis, finishing with 13 points and six rebounds. Rookie Caleb Wilson added 17 points and five assists, though he also committed five turnovers. That’s a pretty fair snapshot of a rookie handling the ball that often.
None of it changes the preseason standings, because there aren’t any. But with 10 days left before the opener in Toronto, the picture is getting clearer: the Bulls can shoot, they still foul too much to beat quality opponents, and Leonard Miller should be in the rotation on Oct. 21.
In Other News...
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 Head To Denver With A Growing Depth Concern
The Bulls head into their first preseason road test in Denver already managing the kind of availability issues that can make this time of year feel a little thinner than it should. Chicago is set to face a Nuggets group that could feature former Bull DeMar DeRozan, and the trip comes with several roster complications as the team continues sorting out rotation looks and backup minutes.
Tre Jones, Jaylin Sellers, Zach Collins and Jalen Smith are all expected to sit, leaving Chicago with fewer bodies than it would like for a preseason matchup that still matters for evaluation. Matas Buzelis is also listed as a game-time decision because of an ankle injury, adding another layer of uncertainty to a Bulls group that is trying to get healthy enough to take advantage of these road reps. [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 🡒]