GET TO KNOW: Chicago Bulls: 5 things we learned from 106-102 preseason loss

The Chicago Bulls went down to the preseason wire again Tuesday, losing 106-102 to the Toronto Raptors after missing two key chances to go ahead in the final minute.

The Bulls will play one final preseason game, hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, before their season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 25 at the United Center.

Here are five things we learned from Tuesday’s game.

1. Torrey Craig stood out as an early sub for struggling Patrick Williams.
Williams turned the ball over twice in the first three minutes before coach Billy Donovan yanked him out of the rotation. He returned to the court in the second quarter and sank a 3-pointer and grabbed a rebound, but he continued to struggle throughout the second half.

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Donovan originally planned to play Williams much deeper into the first quarter but felt frustrated enough with his early play to pull the forward out to administer corrections.

“I just thought there were a lot of opportunities for him to get to the backboard and offensive rebound,” Donovan said. “We had talked about it and I just didn’t like the way we came out. It’s not even about him missing or making shots. We can’t run away from physicality. You’re going to have to lean into it.”

Deep in the third quarter, Williams dribbled a ball off his foot for a turnover, then fouled a 3-point shooter on the same sequence. He was positioned to aid in a come-from-behind win in the final minute but stepped out of bounds with 37.8 seconds left to turn the ball over while the Bulls trailed 103-102.

Raptors forward Jalen McDaniels guards Bulls forward Patrick Williams while he misses a basket in the final minute of the fourth quarter at the United Center on Oct. 17, 2023.
Raptors forward Jalen McDaniels guards Bulls forward Patrick Williams while he misses a basket in the final minute of the fourth quarter at the United Center on Oct. 17, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Donovan drew up a read-option play for Williams to make the winning layup with 12 seconds remaining. But after making a strong move to the rim, Williams couldn’t finish the shot. He finished with 10 points, three rebounds and four turnovers.

Craig replaced Williams early in the first quarter. He continued to bring vibrant defensive energy to the Bulls rotations, crushing an attempted dunk by Gary Trent Jr. against the glass for his second chase-down block of the game in the third quarter. He finished with four points, five rebounds and three assists.

2. Coby White avoided injury concerns in a solid showing.
White continued to make a compelling case to take over the starting point guard job in his fourth preseason start. He logged six points and three assists in his first nine minutes, whipping a pass two-thirds the length of the court to hit Zach LaVine in transition for a wide-open dunk.

White showed signs of being aggravated by the smothering on-ball presence of Dennis Schröder, coughing up five turnovers and earning a technical foul for a brief scuffle with the Raptors guard. But White regained his composure, finishing with 11 points and four assists.

The Bulls had reason for concern in the third quarter when White went into the locker room after landing awkwardly on a drive-and-kick play. The team was already missing Alex Caruso, who sat out Tuesday’s game after tweaking his ankle in practice earlier in the week.

However, White returned in the fourth quarter and Donovan confirmed after the game that he knocked knees with a defender and left only to procure a protective knee pad.

3. The Bulls struggled to get to the free-throw line.

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The Raptors had one clear advantage — trips to the free-throw line. Toronto went 29-for-38 from the line. The Bulls took only 11 free throws. The disparity created a crucial divide in scoring, and it also illustrated a key area of needed improvement for the Bulls.

The art of drawing free throws is a direct reflection of a team’s ability to drive to the rim. Donovan noted that Bulls players are passing up both 3-pointers and rim attempts, settling to drive into the midrange and then pull up to shoot or pass.

Centers Nikola Vučević and Andre Drummond combined for seven of the team’s 11 free-throw attempts, but the rest of the team was unable to draw fouls through downhill moves to the basket.

4. 3-point shooting continued to plateau after a hot start.
Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu shoots a 3-pointer over Raptors guard Malachi Flynn during the fourth quarter at the United Center on Oct. 17, 2023.

Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu shoots a 3-pointer over Raptors guard Malachi Flynn during the fourth quarter at the United Center on Oct. 17, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
After trailing the rest of the league in 3-point shooting last season, the Bulls started the preseason on a high note, taking 19 attempts in the first half of their first exhibition. But that volume quickly dipped and has since plateaued to reflect the status quo from last season.

The Bulls took only 26 attempts from 3-point range against the Raptors, finishing 9-for-26 behind the arc. They have not taken more than 16 attempts in a half since that first preseason game.

5. Zach LaVine led the scoring as the starters settled in.
Bulls guard Zach LaVine dunks the ball during the first quarter against the Raptors on Oct. 17, 2023, at the United Center.
Bulls guard Zach LaVine dunks the ball during the first quarter against the Raptors on Oct. 17, 2023, at the United Center. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
The starting lineup played deep into the fourth quarter Tuesday, the longest stint so far this preseason for Vučević, LaVine and DeMar DeRozan.

LaVine led the scoring in an explosive performance that highlighted what he can bring to the Bulls offense: 25 points, 3-for-8 shooting from 3-point range and three assists.