I hope the Chicago Bulls have those ice baths ready!

While this week’s schedule may not have the toughest opponents on paper, it’s as jam-packed as it can get. After facing the Houston Rockets later this evening, they will fly to Detroit for a game against the Pistons tomorrow night. Then, after a one-day break, it’s off to Milwaukee on Wednesday before their first home NBA Cup game on Friday. To top it all off, they’ll host the Grizzlies on Saturday.

For those keeping track, that’s five games in seven days!

• Also, I still can’t believe the upcoming back-to-back will mark the first time the Bulls have consecutive home games this season. I’ve brought that up numerous times over the last few months, but I find it that crazy! I guess it just makes their better-than-expected start to the season that much more … well … better-than-expected. Billy Donovan has genuinely done a nice job this year keeping this group locked in during a wonky travel schedule. With that said, I still have one major gripe with the head coach.
• UNLEASH MATAS BUZELIS, BILLY! The rookie has only clocked double-digit minutes three times this season, and he’s only played 16+ minutes twice. Even stranger, the Bulls decided to send Matas Buzelis to the G League this weekend despite making the most of his 8 minutes against the Cavaliers. He finished with 9 points (3-3 from downtown), 2 rebounds, and a block. His energy off the bench was a huge reason why the Bulls cut the Cavs’ lead to just 5 points heading into halftime.

• To be clear, if the Bulls are going to send Buzelis down at times, I would prefer it to be handled this way. He strictly joined the team for gameday and was recalled immediately after handling a big offensive workload. It’s not the worst way to ensure he gets ample playing time and build his confidence. Having said that, Buzelis showed last night that he doesn’t have much more learning to do at that level. He played all of his 2023-24 campaign against G-League competition, which is why it came as no surprise that he finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds in Windy City’s OT loss.
• Buzelis shot 11-21 on the night and carved up the Motor City Cruise off the dribble. The Windy City Bulls shared some highlights here …

— Windy City Bulls (@windycitybulls) November 17, 2024

• Again, there isn’t a lot left for Buzelis to prove in the G-League. What he needs to work on most is getting stronger and adjusting to NBA-level athleticism and size. The G-League isn’t going to offer the same physicality and rim protection, which is why we see him getting to the basket with so much ease. He’s had a much harder time doing that over his 12 games with the Bulls thus far. The only way that is going to change is if the organization gives him a chance to play through it.
• The Chicago Bulls would love to be in the Houston Rocket’s shoes. They are flooded with high-upside talent and have shown steady improvement over the last year-plus. The team is currently off to an encouraging 9-4 start and owns a net rating that sits top 5 in the NBA. While they may not currently be seen as a real contender, there is no question they have the mix of talent and assets to reach that status in the near future.
• Houston isn’t the most efficient offensive team, but they do have seven players averaging double-digit points to begin the year. They can and will attack you from multiple different angles. However, their real bread and butter is the other side of the ball. Houston holds the NBA’s third-highest defensive rating. They have a very switchable group and several long wings to turn to when needed. We’ve also seen them do a nice job of forcing turnovers this season, averaging the fourth-most points off turnovers per game. Considering Chicago averages the sixth-most TOVs a night, there should be some real concerns about this matchup tonight.
• Rebounding is also pivotal against this Rockets squad. They have the second-highest OREB% in the league, which leads to 18.5 second-chance points per game (2nd in the NBA). If the Bulls want to keep this one close, it’s going to take a communal effort on the glass. Patrick Williams, in particular, will need to make his presence felt in the paint.
• Big agree, Keith. As we talked about yesterday, it’s nice to see Josh Giddey take some accountability.

• The Chicago Bears are about to play their first game without Shane Waldron this season. Oh, and it comes against their biggest rival. Will it lead to good things? Luis has more on the matchup against the stinky cheeseheads.
• The NHL might see a significant bump in their cap. Tab looked into that over at BN Blackhawks.

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written by

Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.