Bulls observations: Green starts in rout of Nuggets originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Chicago Bulls evened their record after two exhibitions with their 131-113 victory over the Denver Nuggets Friday night at the United Center. The Nuggets played without Nikola Jokic, who remained in Denver.
Here are 8 observations:
1. Billy Donovan switched up the starters—and not at point guard. In a mild surprise, Javonte Green drew the nod over Patrick Williams. Donovan said he made the move to try different groups and also to not stagger DeMar DeRozan with the second unit as Donovan is trying a true 10-man rotation. He said he didn’t view the move as a demotion for Williams, merely an attempt to try different looks in the preseason. The starting power forward position still sounds like a very open competition.
2. Green is one of the best off-ball cutters on the team. His energy and activity helped the Bulls get off to a much better start offensively than in Tuesday’s opener against the Pelicans. Donovan has talked about the desire to push pace but also play quickly in the halfcourt setting. Don’t let the ball stick. Keep bodies and ball moving. Play with randomness. Green’s mere presence and a concerted effort from Ayo Dosunmu to sprint into sets led to success. On one first-quarter possession, Green’s cut led to a wide-open layup, two of the Bulls’ 50 points in the paint. Green finished with 15 points, five rebounds and two assists and even knocked down all three of his 3-point attempts. More importantly, he completely changed the energy of the first unit.
3. The flip side, of course, is Williams and how he reacts from here. Williams posted an emphatic block on Michael Porter Jr. in an otherwise invisible first half. But he awakened with a strong third-quarter flurry. First, he attacked the rim on a dunk attempt, drawing two free throws. He then sank a pullup midrange jumper and a 3-pointer—without hesitation—in succession. Williams finished with 11 points and two rebounds in 19 minutes, shooting 4-for-6. Donovan said both Green and Williams played well.
4. For the second straight game, Nikola Vucevic asserted himself inside and authored an extremely efficient offensive performance. Vucevic finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists on 6-for-8 shooting in 24 minutes. Vucevic did knock down two 3-pointers but for the second straight game, he worked effectively from the block and showcased his back-to-the-basket skills. He swished a turnaround jumper over DeAndre Jordan and displayed nifty footwork on a power move inside. Vucevic has talked about getting back to his basics. He still remains a hub offensively up top at times because of his passing ability. But his touches down low have increased and his production has been on point the first two games.
5. As expected, Zach LaVine logged third-quarter minutes and extended his overall output from 17 to 24 minutes. LaVine typically plays plenty of 5-on-5 during the offseason. But this offseason, following his arthroscopic knee surgery, LaVine mostly focused on rehabilitation. That he said he feels strong after the first two games is a good sign, as is the fact he played a solid floor game with six assists. He didn’t force shots, mindful that both DeMar DeRozan and Vucevic had it rolling.
6. DeMar DeRozan appears in midseason form. After utilizing his potent pump fake to get to the line 12 times for 21 points on nine shots in Tuesday’s opener, DeRozan worked his midrange magic this time. He scored 22 points in 24 minutes by knocking down 9 of 15 shots, displaying fancy footwork throughout. DeRozan consistently has talked about Kobe Bryant’s influence on his game, and two of his hoops were vintage Kobe. Defended closely with his dribble extinguished and the defense not biting on his pump fake, DeRozan stepped through the defender and calmly banked in a left-handed shot. Then in the third quarter, DeRozan put Aaron Gordon in the spin cycle for a layup down low.
7. After Goran Dragic’s noticeably ineffective opener, Donovan made an emphatic point. “I don’t worry about Goran,” Donovan said then. That’s the resume and respect that Dragic has built over his 14-year career and, indeed, the veteran guard delivered a bounceback game. He pushed pace on his first touch, consistently put pressure on the defense with probing drives and finished with eight points and two assists. On one notable play out of a timeout, Dragic drove and tossed an alley-oop over the top of the defense to Andre Drummond, who also played well.
8. In fact, the second unit hummed in general. Coby White put the thigh contusion that shortened his preseason opener in the past with 15 points and three assists in just 18 minutes. White showed little hesitation in catch-and-shoot situations, which likely will be his primary role this season. He knocked down 5-for-7 shots, including two 3-pointers. He even turned one into a four-point play.
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