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
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