Three Things to Watch Ahead of the Bulls’ Regular Season Opener Game – USFTB

October 21, 2026 3 Min Read

From Giddey’s scoring to Buzelis’ next step, here are three things to watch as Chicago opens its season against Toronto.

Chicago’s 3–2 preseason wasn’t enough to tell us where this team is headed, but it did throw up a few interesting storylines ahead of the regular-season opener against Toronto. There were encouraging individual performances, some familiar questions about the offense and a couple of young players making a case for bigger roles.

The important thing now is separating the production from the progress. Here’s what I’m watching from a Bulls perspective as they take on the Raptors:

Giddey averaged 9.0 points and 6.2 assists across five preseason games, but shot just 36.7% from the field and 31.3% from three. The passing is there; the question is whether he can become a more consistent scoring threat.

Chicago needs Giddey to dictate games, not simply facilitate them. His ability to push the ball in transition and find teammates is valuable, but NBA defenses will happily let him shoot if they don’t believe he can punish them. That becomes a problem in the half-court, where space is harder to come by and possessions can grind to a halt.

Against Toronto, I’d be watching how the Raptors defend his pick-and-rolls. Do they go under screens and challenge him to shoot, or do they send extra pressure and trust him to make the right read? How Giddey responds could tell us plenty about where this offense is heading.

He doesn’t need to turn into a high-volume scorer overnight. But if the shooting remains inconsistent, Chicago will have to work harder to create good looks for everyone else.

Buzelis averaged 13.2 points across five preseason games, shooting 51.0% from the field. On the surface, that’s a solid return. The more interesting detail is that he shot 30.4% from three.

That distinction matters for a Bulls team trying to build a coherent offense. Buzelis has the size and versatility to attack the basket, finish plays and contribute defensively, but his perimeter shooting will influence how much freedom he gets to do those things.

If teams are comfortable giving him space on the perimeter, the driving lanes become more crowded. If he can make defenses respect his jumper, the rest of his game becomes much more dangerous.

His development is about finding that balance: continuing to attack aggressively while becoming a reliable threat away from the basket. Toronto should offer an early test of his decision-making against longer, more physical defenders.

Chicago doesn’t need Buzelis to carry the offense just yet, as there are multiple other high-volume shooters on the roster, but Buzelis needs to show why he cannot be ignored.

The preseason’s most encouraging individual numbers arguably came from two of Chicago’s younger forwards. Caleb Wilson averaged 15.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while Leonard Miller put up 16.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Miller also shot 62.0% from the field across five appearances.

Those are promising returns, particularly from Miller, whose efficiency stood out. Wilson, meanwhile, showed he could contribute as a scorer and facilitator, although his 3.4 turnovers per game and 43.5% shooting from the field underline how much room there is for growth.

The question is how those performances translate when the regular season begins. Preseason offers opportunities to experiment, and impressive scoring numbers don’t necessarily guarantee a player can hold up defensively or make the right decisions against a prepared opponent.

That’s where the opener becomes useful. Wilson’s ability to handle the physicality of NBA basketball and Miller’s capacity to maintain his efficiency are worth monitoring. Their performances could also influence how Chicago distributes minutes across its forward rotation.

For a team still working out which young players belong in its long-term plans, these aren’t insignificant details. There are only so many minutes to go around, and opportunities have to be earned.

The Bulls finished preseason 3–2, winning against Phoenix, Milwaukee and Minnesota while losing to Memphis and Denver. The record is a reasonable starting point, but the individual performances are more interesting than the results themselves.

Giddey’s shooting, Buzelis’ development as a perimeter threat and the competition for minutes among Chicago’s young forwards are the three things I am closely watching against Toronto.

It’s only one game, and while we should refrain from making grand conclusions after opening night, Chicago needs to start finding answers about its core players. The regular season is where those answers begin to matter.