The Chicago Bulls may have to get used to lopsided scores.
For the second time this season, Tiago Splitter’s team walked off the court with a loss of 35+ points. To no surprise, the Boston Celtics looked like the far more experienced and polished team on Monday night. They essentially ended the game early in the third quarter, forcing the Bulls to search for answers deep in their bench.
As a gauntlet schedule looms, it might be a while before any of our postgame report cards are worthy of going on the fridge!
Caleb Wilson – B+
Stats: 17 PTS (7-15 FG, 1-5 3PT), 5 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK
Caleb Wilson has no fears. Playing for the first time in TD Garden against a superstar duo in Jayson Tatum and Paul George, the rookie put on an early show. He dominated during his stint in the second quarter, helping keep the Bulls within striking distance. We watched him finish two and-one buckets: One that saw him blow by George for the dunk, and one where he drove baseline before euro-stepping for the finish.
On top of that, Wilson had two assists, which included a great read off a live pick-and-roll. The Bulls were feeding him on repeat, using his superior athleticism to keep Boston’s defense off balance.
We’d also be remiss not to mention his solid defense on Jayson Tatum. Wilson was only a -3 on the night despite the major loss, and a big reason for that was his defensive intensity.
Norman Powell – B
Stats: 20 PTS (5-11 FG, 4-7 3PT), 4 STL, 2 AST, 1 REB
Norman Powell’s patience is going to be tested. The veteran scorer and reigning All-Star had arguably his best game as a Bull, but it still led to little success. He even gave his all on the defensive end, finishing the night with 4 steals (all of which came early in the game).
When things start to slip away from the Bulls, you at least have to commend Powell for trying to take matters into his own hands. He’s been ridiculously good at drawing fouls to start the year, so much so that he came into the evening with the 5th-most attempts in the league (27).
Dailyn Swain – C
Stats: 2 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL
Thanks to the blowout, rookie Dailyn Swain was thrown into his first-ever NBA game. With that in mind, it’s hard to really grade the No. 15 overall pick, especially considering he only saw 12 minutes. Swain did flash his versatility, though, and it was particularly encouraging to see him get a pair of early steals.
At the same time, ball pressure is going to continue to be a real issue for Swain, who turned it over four times in his limited action.
Matas Buzelis – C-
Stats: 11 PTS (3-6 FG, 2-4 3PT), 2 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL
Matas Buzelis doesn’t quite look like himself. He deserves some grace as he attempts to learn a new system and figure out how he fits into what the Bulls want to do offensively. And, hey, it was nice to see him knock down a couple of threes.
What the Bulls can’t have, though, is Buzelis taking a mere six field goal attempts on the night. Splitter has to empower the third-year forward to be more assertive. With all that said, there is no question this was a tough matchup for him on paper.
Josh Giddey – C-
Stats: 11 PTS (4-7 FG, 1-4 3PT), 4 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK
Josh Giddey felt like he was playing a slightly more aggressive game in Boston, but that didn’t necessarily lead to better results. He looks a tad frustrated finding his way in this offense and getting a feel for his new teammates.
The fact that he also wasn’t able to make his presence felt more on the glass this evening was particularly notable. He finished with only ONE rebound in his 23 minutes of work. Giddey had only one game where he had fewer than 2 rebounds last season.
Jalen Smith – D+
Stats: 7 PTS (2-8 FG, 2-5 3PT), 6 REB, 1 AST
Coming into the night, Jalen Smith was easily the Bulls’ most consistent player, so he may have been due for a rough outing. The big man struggled against the Celtics’ Mitch Robinson and team-wide rebounding effort.
Noa Essengue – D
Stats: 0 PTS (0-5 FG), 4 REB, 1 STL
After a really strong outing against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Chicago Bulls ruled Noa Essenge out for their home opener due to a head injury. The forward was given the green light to return shortly before game time on Monday, but he failed to replicate the impressive defensive showing. The hustle was there, but the discipline wasn’t. Essengue had five fouls and finished a -25.
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