3 takeaways from preseason win over Cavaliers

Overreacting to preseason basketball is a dangerous path for an NBA fan.

But after two exhibition games, the Chicago Bulls have a clear warning bell to sound: They can’t stop turning the ball over.

The Bulls committed 26 turnovers in Tuesday’s win over the Cavaliers in Cleveland. They cut that number to 19 in Thursday’s 119-112 victory in a rematch at the United Center — but the opening minutes were still dominated by sloppiness with the ball that this Bulls offense can’t afford. They recorded 12 turnovers in the first half – seven in the first quarter – in another haphazard start.

The Bulls ranked 20th in ball protection last season, committing 14.7 turnovers per game. Coach Billy Donovan often attributed this recklessness to a team-wide transition to a new style of offense, which upped the tempo and emphasized picking up the pace in the open court.

A handful of Thursday’s mistakes could be attributed to preseason sloppiness. The Cavaliers also recorded 17 turnovers, reflecting the fragile and out-of-sync nature of the game.

Here are three other takeaways from this victory.

1. A rough start from Josh Giddey

When Giddey loses his rhythm, it is difficult for the Bulls point guard to get back into the rhythm of the game.

Giddey found himself out of position from the opening whistle at the United Center. He threw the ball into an opponent’s hands on a behind-the-back pass, then made a second turnover after traveling while trying to head to the rim. On an ensuing play, Giddey was called for a foul after crashing into Evan Mobley as he attempted to fight through a screen.

These three errors occurred in the first two minutes. These disastrous streaks are not uncommon during Giddey’s Bulls tenure – despite the brilliance of his passing and the relative consistency of his shooting, the guard will appear lost on the court at random.

Giddey eventually warmed up to the game, lowering his head to reach the rim on curling arc drives to the basket and throwing passes all over the court to spark transition. He finished with 14 points and six assists. But those first few minutes provided a glimpse of the risks inherent in relying on Giddey as the centerpiece of the starting rotation.

2. Highs (and some lows) for Patrick Williams

For the first time since his freshman year, Williams will begin the season as a bench player – and the forward will assume his new role.

In nearly 22 minutes Thursday, Williams stuck to a script that could give him success this season. He stayed active on defense, took four 3-pointers to stretch the court and worked his way to the free throw line. In the third quarter, he jumped for a back offensive rebound and sent the rebound into the net.

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Williams is still far from what the Bulls want from their former power forward. He needs to rebound more – he only had three on Thursday. His 3-point shooting needs to become more consistent and he needs to do less dribbling in and around the lane. But Donovan sees a vision for Williams built around his specific skill set as a three-and-D utility player coming off the bench.

“I think he can really carve out a really good niche for himself as an NBA player,” Donovan said. “But can he play consistently with that constant drive on the field? He knows that comes from within himself. I think he really wants to do that.”

3. Nikola Vučević rested

The Bulls rested their starting center. Donovan said Vučević was not dealing with an injury. The Bulls medical team wanted to monitor the center’s playing time following his participation in EuroBasket with Montenegro this summer.

Kevin Huerter (groin) and Julian Phillips (knee) also missed the game with injuries that Donovan described as day-to-day.

Coby White continues to recover from a calf strain suffered during the offseason. Donovan said the team hopes he will be available for the final preseason game on Oct. 16 and for the starting rotation on opening night on Oct. 22. But the team is especially careful with White due to the fast pace of the offense.