The Bulls are heading into opening night with a shorter bench than they’d like, but there’s at least some help on the way in the frontcourt.
Nic Claxton remains out after missing the entire preseason with a hamstring injury, and Tiago Splitter’s latest update suggested the wait won’t be a short one. The former Brooklyn Nets center is still at least a couple of weeks away from making his Bulls debut.
Chicago also won’t have Dailyn Swain or Jordan Hawkins for the trip. Both guards stayed home because of an illness, cutting into the team’s backcourt depth before the first road game.
Hawkins had been a long shot to play anyway after joining the Bulls late this offseason on a two-way contract, but Swain’s absence is more notable. The No. 15 pick was a regular piece of Splitter’s preseason rotation, and with development clearly part of the plan for this group, he looks like a player who could work his way into the second unit once he’s available.
The Bulls play again Friday and Saturday, and if Swain makes the trip for Friday’s matchup with the Bucks, his first minutes may not be far off.
The encouraging news is that Zach Collins looks ready to return. He missed preseason action with a quad injury, but he practiced fully earlier this week and sounded confident about being available for the opener. The Bulls have listed him as probable.
Jalen Smith should still handle most of the minutes, though. Chicago will be careful with Collins after all the time he lost, even if his return matters.
With Claxton sidelined and the Bulls trying to add some more physicality up front, getting Collins back in the mix matters. Against the Raptors, it could matter even more, since Toronto doesn’t have much true center depth either.
Isaac Okoro is also expected to be back after missing the last couple of preseason games with a knee injury. He did play earlier in the preseason, and Splitter has called him their best perimeter defender. If the Bulls are serious about tightening up on that end, Okoro should be in line for plenty of early run as they push to establish their new identity.
Leonard Miller and Tobe Awaka are both listed as probable as well. Awaka’s status is less surprising after he dealt with a knee issue to close the preseason, though whether he actually sees the floor is less certain now that Collins is returning.
Miller is the more interesting name, especially after a strong preseason stretch that likely locked in a rotational role. His adductor issue, at least for now, doesn’t sound like a major concern.
Isaac Okoro - PROBABLE (knee)
Leonard Miller - PROBABLE (adductor)
Zach Collins - PROBABLE (quad)
Tobe Awaka - PROBABLE (knee)
Jordan Hawkins - OUT (illness)
Dailyn Swain - OUT (illness)
Nic Claxton - OUT (hamstring)
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Raptors Hand Bulls A Brutal Reality Check To Open The Season
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For a team committed to rebuilding, the night also underscored the balancing act ahead. Chicago leaned into development by giving minutes to young pieces like Noa Essengue, Jaylin Sellers and Tobe Awaka, but the opener showed how steep the learning curve can be when the mistakes pile up this quickly. The larger question now is how the Bulls respond after an introduction to the season that was as sobering as it was memorable. [Read more 🡒]