Chicago Bulls Central

The Chicago Bulls cannot simply wait for Nic Claxton to return and expect everything that went wrong against Toronto to disappear.
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down the biggest problems exposed in Chicago’s 135-92 opening-night loss, how the Bulls can help rookie Caleb Wilson bounce back, and five specific changes Tiago Splitter needs before Friday’s matchup with Milwaukee.
Chicago committed 27 turnovers, which led to 35 Toronto points, while the Raptors won the fast-break battle 34-13. Those categories overlap, so they should not be added together, but they show the same larger issue: Chicago repeatedly gave Toronto advantageous possessions before the Bulls could even establish their defense.
That’s why this isn’t simply a Nic Claxton conversation.
Claxton can eventually help with rim protection, mobility and defensive coverage, but he cannot fix:
Forced passing decisions
Poor floor balance
Bad spacing
Perimeter containment
Young players repeating the same mistake
Veteran guards failing to stabilize ugly stretches
And Josh Giddey has to be better.
Giddey finished the opener with 2 points on 1-for-10 shooting, 6 assists and 5 turnovers. Chicago needs its lead organizer getting the Bulls into actions early, recognizing when the game needs a manageable possession and putting Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson in positions where their decisions are simpler.
Then we get into Caleb.
Wilson’s NBA debut was eventful:
🔥 16 points
💪 4 rebounds
🔒 3 steals
🚫 1 block
🎯 7-for-21 FG
📉 1-for-8 from three
🚨 9 turnovers
The solution should NOT be taking responsibility away from him.
Instead, Chicago needs to improve the quality of Caleb’s opportunities.
That means:
Using him as a screener
Getting him rolling toward the rim
Creating short-roll decisions
Giving him catches while already moving
Using weak-side cuts
Establishing early seals
Evaluating his three-point attempts individually rather than telling him to stop shooting entirely
And finally, the Bulls don’t have time to fix everything before Milwaukee.
They DO have time to make five clear corrections:
Start with cleaner, executable possessions
Make Tyler Herro work before he receives the ball
Make Milwaukee defend the paint before settling for threes
Finish defensive possessions with contact and rebounds
Give every rotation group a clear offensive and defensive identity
This is now Tiago Splitter’s first major response test.
The Bulls will still make mistakes.
What matters Friday is whether we can SEE that Chicago understood what Toronto exposed and applied the correction.
💬 BULLS NATION: What needs the biggest improvement against Milwaukee — turnovers, Caleb’s decision-making, Josh Giddey’s leadership or Tiago Splitter’s rotations?
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OPENING NIGHT COULD NOT HAVE GONE MUCH WORSE FOR THE CHICAGO BULLS.
The Bulls were blown out 135-92 by the Toronto Raptors, suffering a stunning 43-point loss in the first regular-season game of the Tiago Splitter era.
Join Haize LIVE on Chicago Bulls Central as we break down what went wrong, what this game exposed about Chicago’s young roster, and which problems can be fixed quickly versus which ones may become larger concerns.
The biggest takeaway is impossible to ignore:
Chicago scored only 92 points while allowing Toronto to hang 135.
That is exactly the type of regular-season reality check we talked about entering opening night.
🔥 LIVE POSTGAME TOPICS:
• 😳 How the Bulls allowed a 43-point blowout
• 🧠 Why Chicago’s half-court offense struggled once Toronto took away the easy looks
• 🚨 What happened when the Bulls’ first offensive action failed
• 🔒 Why the defense could not survive consistently without Nic Claxton
• 🌟 What we learned from Matas Buzelis in his first regular-season test
• 🐂 How rookie Caleb Wilson handled his first NBA regular-season game
• 🧠 Whether Josh Giddey created enough offense against Toronto’s length
• 🎯 How the Bulls used Jalen Smith at center
• 👀 What Tiago Splitter could have adjusted sooner
• 📉 Whether the preseason optimism took a legitimate hit
• 🔄 What MUST change before the Bulls face Milwaukee
• 🏀 Why one ugly game doesn’t define the rebuild — but the response absolutely matters
Chicago came into the opener wanting to prove three things:
Create good offense against a set defense.
Stop mistakes from multiplying.
Adjust when the opponent exposes something.
Toronto put all three areas under serious pressure tonight.
Now the question becomes whether the Bulls can actually use this film and show meaningful corrections in Game 2.
💬 BULLS NATION: What concerned you MOST tonight — the offense, the defense, the effort or Tiago Splitter’s adjustments?
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The Chicago Bulls have officially picked up the 2027-28 rookie contract options on Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue — and now the real development work begins.
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down what BOTH young forwards need to prove this season, previews Chicago’s opening-night matchup against Toronto, and puts five bold Bulls predictions on the record for the 2026-27 season.
Chicago exercised Matas Buzelis’ fourth-year option at approximately $7.58 million and Noa Essengue’s third-year option at approximately $5.97 million. These are existing rookie-contract options — not new extensions. Matas becomes rookie-extension eligible in summer 2027, while Chicago’s next major Noa decision will be whether to exercise his fourth-year option for 2028-29.
The development conversations are very different.
For Noa Essengue, the goal is to establish a dependable NBA identity built around physicality, defensive positioning, screening, cutting, running the floor and consistent engagement — even if the jumper remains inconsistent. Chicago also has a crowded forward group with Matas, Caleb Wilson, Leonard Miller, Dailyn Swain and Isaac Okoro, so meaningful reps may require a deliberate mix of NBA minutes and Windy City assignments. Pasted text
For Matas Buzelis, the question is how much responsibility he can eventually carry. He enters the year after averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks, while shooting 34.9% from three. The next step is becoming a more complete creator: beating the first defender, handling the help defender, staying involved when others have the advantage and making his defensive versatility more dependable.
Then it’s OPENING NIGHT.
Toronto’s projected starting lineup features Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl, giving Chicago an immediate test against length, experience and physicality. Nic Claxton is out, while the source document lists Dailyn Swain and Jordan Hawkins as not expected to travel because of illness; Zach Collins, Leonard Miller, Isaac Okoro and Tobe Awaka were listed as probable on the October 21 morning report.
The biggest questions:
🔥 Can Chicago move Toronto’s defense before attacking?
🎯 Can Jalen Smith’s shooting pull Poeltl away from the paint?
🔒 Can the Bulls protect the rim without over-helping?
👀 How do Matas and Caleb handle difficult defensive assignments?
🧠 Which reserves give Tiago Splitter exactly what the starters need?
And finally…
🔥 FIVE BOLD BULLS PREDICTIONS
Matas Buzelis averages 20+ PPG while shooting at least 37% from three.
Caleb Wilson wins Rookie of the Year.
Leonard Miller becomes Chicago’s leading bench scorer and averages at least 13 PPG.
Josh Giddey averages double-digit assists.
Chicago finishes in the NBA’s top 15 in defensive rating. Pasted text
💬 Which prediction are YOU riding with — and which one are you saving to roast Haize about in April? 😂
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A former first-round pick just hit waivers, and the Chicago Bulls have an open roster spot. Should Bryson Graham take the swing?
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down whether Chicago should investigate Walter Clayton Jr., why Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson’s biggest opening-night test may come on defense, and the three things the Bulls must prove during the first week of the regular season.
Memphis waived Clayton on October 19 while trimming its roster. He was selected 18th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, and there is currently no verified Bulls pursuit. The conversation is simply whether Chicago should consider him now that he is available.
Clayton’s profile is intriguing because he has shown both scoring and playmaking ability. In his final season at Florida, he averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists and shot 38.6% from three. As an NBA rookie, he averaged 7.8 points and 4.0 assists, but his three-point percentage fell to 30.7%.
Chicago could potentially develop him as:
🧠 A secondary ball-handler next to Josh Giddey
🎯 A creator for developmental lineups
🔥 A guard who can relocate and shoot after giving up the ball
But Chicago already has Giddey, Tre Jones, Norman Powell and Buddy Hield on standard deals, while Jordan Hawkins, Jaylin Sellers and Tobe Awaka occupy the three two-way spots. That means the Bulls would need an actual development plan, not simply excitement over Clayton’s draft pedigree.
Then we turn to opening night.
With Nic Claxton unavailable, Chicago’s young forwards will face a serious defensive responsibility against Toronto. The source document frames a possible matchup with Matas defending Kawhi Leonard and Caleb taking Scottie Barnes, while emphasizing that this is a proposed matchup, not an announced coaching decision. Pasted text
The key isn’t whether Matas and Caleb shut down elite scorers.
It’s whether they:
Communicate through screens
Help at the correct time
Recover under control
Stay disciplined when contesting shots
Finish possessions with rebounds
That defensive partnership may tell us more about their long-term fit together than one big scoring night. Pasted text
And finally, Chicago opens with Toronto, Milwaukee and Washington, including an early back-to-back. Haize lays out three things the Bulls need to prove:
🔥 Create quality offense when transition disappears
🧠 Play aggressively without giving away possessions
📈 Show that Tiago Splitter and the players can adjust from game to gamE
💬 Would you use Chicago’s final roster spot on Walter Clayton Jr., and what matters more opening night: Matas and Caleb scoring big or defending well together?
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The Chicago Bulls now have TWO different roster opportunities to monitor, and they solve completely different problems.
On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down the Bulls’ reported links to Dalton Knecht and Moussa Cissé, Josh Giddey’s developing lob game with Chicago’s athletic young core, and what Bryson Graham should do if this Bulls team starts winning faster than expected.
The Lakers have reportedly communicated with Chicago while trying to move Dalton Knecht, while separate reporting connects the Bulls to Moussa Cissé if Dallas waives him. The Knecht situation establishes contact. The Cissé situation is conditional on him becoming available. Neither means Chicago has completed a move. Pasted text
Knecht gives Chicago another potential perimeter scorer. His production dropped from 9.1 points per game on 37.6% from three in 2024-25 to 4.2 points on 34.2% from deep last season, so Chicago would need a clear plan for why his game could improve in a different role. Pasted text
But the roster is already crowded with shooters and young perimeter players.
Buddy Hield. Jordan Hawkins. Jaylin Sellers. Dailyn Swain.
That makes the question bigger than whether Knecht has talent. Chicago has to determine whether adding him is worth the minutes, coaching attention and roster space. Pasted text
Cissé offers something very different.
In 38 games last season, he averaged 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in just 13.9 minutes, shooting 57.4% from the field. His appeal would be a simple role built around screening, rolling, finishing, rim protection and rebounding. Pasted text
The downside?
He offers little perimeter spacing, attempted no threes last season and shot 46.9% from the free-throw line. Chicago would need to know whether his defense and rebounding outweigh those offensive limitations. Pasted text
The Bulls currently have their three two-way spots occupied and have 14 standard-contract players, meaning one standard roster spot remains. Adding both Knecht and Cissé would require another roster move. Pasted text
My lean?
Investigate Cissé first if Dallas makes him available, while keeping the Knecht conversation alive if Los Angeles makes the price favorable. Pasted text
Then we turn to Josh Giddey.
Giddey acknowledged that throwing lobs is something he has not done much throughout his career. Now he has Caleb Wilson, Matas Buzelis, Nic Claxton, Leonard Miller and Noa Essengue as potential vertical targets. Pasted text (2)
A credible lob threat can change how a defense guards Giddey before the ball ever leaves his hands. The big may step toward Josh, stay attached to the roller, or force a third defender to help. That can create a finish, lob, corner three or extra pass. Pasted text (2)
And finally:
What happens if the Bulls are better than expected?
Bryson Graham’s biggest challenge may come if Caleb, Matas, Giddey and the young core start winning early. The front office has to understand whether that success is sustainable before spending future assets to chase more of it. Pasted text (2)
🔥 Today on Chicago Bulls Central:
Dalton Knecht vs Moussa Cissé
Which player better fits Chicago’s final roster spot
Why Knecht would need a clear development plan
Why Cissé’s rebounding and rim protection are intriguing
The Jalen Smith factor in any Knecht trade
Josh Giddey developing his lob game
Caleb, Matas, Claxton, Leonard and Noa as vertical threats
Why shooting helps create lob opportunities
How to judge Giddey’s passing beyond assists
What Bryson Graham should do if Chicago starts winning
When a trade should accelerate the rebuild
Why a hot month should NOT dictate the entire plan
💬 Who would YOU rather use the final roster spot on: Dalton Knecht, Moussa Cissé or nobody yet?
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