Chicago has a new voice on the bench. Billy Donovan stepped down in April, and Tiago Splitter is running the Bulls in 2026-27. The early coverage has called this season a reset for a fan base that has run out of patience. This is the Bulls' 2nd preseason game, after Wednesday's opener against Phoenix. The rest of the exhibition slate is Denver, Milwaukee and Minnesota before the regular-season opener at Toronto on Oct. 21.
The Bulls' frontcourt is the immediate problem. Nic Claxton tweaked his hamstring and will be re-evaluated in 2 weeks, so he is probably out for most of the preseason. Zach Collins (toe) didn't play against the Suns. In the backcourt, Tre Jones and Jaylin Sellers (back) also sat Wednesday.
So both teams are short on bigs. Memphis just got outrebounded by 9 without Stewart. Chicago may be without both Claxton and Collins at the United Center. Whichever coach finds a backup big who can hold up on the glass will learn the most from this one. For Splitter, a former NBA center, that is also his first real problem to solve.
Tip is 7:00 PM CT Friday. Box scores from October don't count for much, so watch the rotations. Track Boozer's minutes and how often Memphis runs the offense through him. On Chicago's side, look at who Splitter trusts in the frontcourt while his centers are hurt. Both teams open the regular season on Oct. 21, and the people who matter most to each of them are still learning who fits.