Bucks with comeback win over Bulls in preseason opener |
MILWAUKEE - The 2023-24 NBA season is starting up, as the preseason kicked off this week. The Chicago Bulls opened their preseason slate on Sunday in a matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. After trading for Damien Lillard a couple of weeks ago, many feel like the Bucks are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference this season, but the Bulls are hoping to make some noise this season.
After coming out swinging in the first quarter to open up a 30-21 lead, Chicago took the Bucks best shots, but still managed to hold the lead through three quarters. It was in the fourth when things went south for Chicago as they were outscored 27-20 in the final 12 minutes, which was the difference in the Bucks 105-102 comeback win. For the Bulls to be more successful this season, they need their three-point shooting to improve. After adding guys like Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter this offseason, it should help, and the Bulls immediately looked like a different shooting team from the perimeter as they knocked down 13 triples for close to 40% from deep. Unfortunately, the rest of their game wasn't great, as they shot under 40% overall, which isn't going to get it done. Despite being able to make a ton of moves this offseason, one of their bigger moves was being able to resign Coby White to a team-friendly contract, especially after coming off an impressive season. White is expected to be one of a handful of guys battling it out for the starting PG position and left a great first impression as he led the Bulls with 14 points in 23 minutes. White also added five rebounds and six assists as he showed his full arsenal of what he can do with increased minutes. 14 points may not be a big deal, but this is the preseason, so you shouldn't expect anyone to put up massive numbers quite yet. Looking to finally reach his potential in what will be his fourth season is Patrick Williams, who added 13 points to provide some much-needed support for the Bulls. Those were the only two players in double figures, but that is all you can ask for during the preseason. While those two were the focal points of the Bulls offense, several other players came up with strong showings off the bench, including Andre Drummond, who picked up eight points and nine rebounds. Drummond didn't see the minutes anyone expected him to get last season, but with a roster that lacks size and physicality, look for that to change this season. You also had eight points from Carter and Ayo Dosunmu, with Craig adding seven. All three can be considered free-agent pickups, and they will all have a massive part to play in the team's success this season. When it comes to the Bucks, they didn't go with many of their regulars, including Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, yet they still won. That is scary when you think about it, as this roster is talented and extremely deep. Leading the way for Milwaukee wasn't even a starter, but instead a bench player in Marjon Beauchamp, who is expected to have a massive role for the Bucks this season. Despite being primarily a bench player, Beauchamp sees plenty of minutes on the floor, and after leading all scorers with 18 points and adding nine rebounds, you can see why the Bucks are so high on him. Another player who stepped up off the bench was the younger brother of Giannis as Thanasis Antetokounmpo came away with 14 points to help pace the offense. While those two led the way, Milwaukee still had three additional players land in double figures, and they all came from the starting lineup, with Malik Beasley leading their starters with 13 points. Beasley will see an increased role with guys like Grayson Allen no longer in the picture, as his ability to knock down shots from the outside is pivotal to this team's success. Along with Beasley, you had Brook Lopez and his 11 points mixed with Jae Crowder and his 10 points helping to give the Bucks five double-digit scorers in the win. Despite the loss, there was a lot to like from the Bulls in this game as this was just game one of a five-game preseason slate.
