Chicago opened Wednesday in Toronto, the night Kawhi Leonard made his first regular-season appearance for the Raptors since the 2019 title. The Bulls went in shorthanded, and that is still their biggest problem two days later. The interesting part of the roster is No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson, who tore up Summer League and now gets real minutes against a Milwaukee frontcourt that just got pushed around.
The Bulls' frontcourt is thin. Nic Claxton is out with a left hamstring strain and won't be re-evaluated for about 2 weeks, so Chicago is without its starting center for this one and the next several. Guards Jordan Hawkins and Dailyn Swain both missed the opener with an illness, and neither has been cleared yet. Zach Collins, Leonard Miller and Tobe Awaka were the bodies behind Claxton on the opening-night report, which says plenty about who is guarding the paint.
That sets up the matchup that matters most. Milwaukee lost the rebounding battle to Washington, and now it draws a Bulls team missing its best big. If Turner and Ware can't control the glass against Chicago's backups, the opener's problem was more than first-game rust. The Bucks also have to show they can hold a lead late, since their closing lineup fell apart in the 4th in D.C.
Tipoff is 3:00 PM CT on Friday, October 23. Neither team is a contender on paper, but this is still a rivalry game, and it's the first real test of whether Jenkins' rebuilt Bucks can protect their own floor.