CHICAGO (AP) Bradley Beal scored 35 points and the Washington Wizards held on to beat the Chicago Bulls 105-101 on Monday night. Beal, the NBA’s leading scorer, hit three free throws in.
As many positives that have come from the early part of this Bulls campaign, the reality is they are only a game better than last season at this time, with basically the same roster. Now with a rash of injuries, the timetable on becoming a seller could be speeding up the next few weeks.
Thanks to improved health and a couple of offseason additions, the Chicago Bulls have far better depth at the wing this season than they have in the recent past. In fact, if anything, they’ve created a bit of a logjam at the position, with Patrick Williams, Otto Porter, Chandler Hutchison, and Denzel Valentine all eating minutes at small forward. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a good problem to have, but it still puts head coach Billy Donovan in a bit of a tough place.
For example, we know Patrick Williams is going to get his run.
The rookie is the first hand-picked talent of the new regime, and the Bulls clearly hope to determine his fit at the wing as opposed to at power forward (where some believe he’d be a better fit). We also know Otto Porter will get his fair share of minutes when healthy. The veteran forward is a talented 3-and-D option whose basketball smarts help create a better overall product when on the court. So … that leaves the Bulls with Valentine and Hutchiso