In the Chicago Bulls’ horrendous loss to the Raptors, OG Anunoby’s successful night made it glaringly obvious what the Bulls’ biggest weakness is.
The Chicago Bulls looked bad in nearly every aspect of their home opener against Toronto, but there was one area that stood out among the rest: defending the big, athletic Raptors youngster, OG Anunoby.
OG Anunoby dismantled the Bulls in the Raptors’ 108-84 road victory. He scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point land to go along with six rebounds and four blocks in only 26 minutes of play. He was the biggest reason why the Bulls weren’t able to keep the game close.
The lack of depth at the small forward position for the Bulls has been a constant topic of conversation, but against the Raptors, it was more obvious than ever that the Bulls will walk into most games with a significant disadvantage at that position.
Otto Porter Jr. was supposed to be the guy that fixed these issues for the Bulls, and last season, he did (sort of). But in the first three games of the 2019-20 NBA season, it’s clear Porter isn’t at 100 percent. Even when he was on the floor against Toronto, OG was beating him constantly.
Midway through the third quarter, Kyle Lowry hit Pascal Siakam on the short roll and Porter pinched inside to help on Siakam. Thaddeus Young was already in position, though, so Porter didn’t have to help as heavily as he did. After getting pinched by two guys, Siakam kicked it out to Anunoby in the corner and it was too late for Porter to recover. Splash. (The play can be seen here.)
That’s a defensive error that can’t happen. Porter has to trust that Young will be in position, and he can’t leave an already-hot Anunoby open in the corner. So if Porter couldn’t contain Anunoby, who on the Bulls could?
No one. No one on the Bulls could contain Anunoby.
Late in the second quarter, when the Bulls were in their three-guard lineup, Zach LaVine was tasked with guarding OG. You can probably guess how that worked out. All it took to lose Zach was a simple pindown screen from Siakam, and next thing you know, OG is shooting a wide-open three. He didn’t make the shot, but that’s not the kind of luck you want to rely on. A simple pindown screen has to be covered better than that.
At one point in the first quarter, the Raptors went small and Thaddeus Young had to take on the role of guarding OG. That didn’t work, either. Thad wasn’t quick enough to keep up with OG off the dribble.
As the Bulls’ current roster sits, they don’t have anyone that can cover a big, athletic wing. Otto isn’t playing like himself, and the Bulls’ three-guard lineup is too small.
When Chandler Hutchison returns to the court, that should make things easier. He’s an athletic wing who plays ferocious defense. His offense just needs to be adequate enough to keep him on the court.
Chicago will probably have to stand pat until they know what Hutch has to offer. If he isn’t the guy they hope he is, they’ll have to make a move to get a two-way wing on the roster.
If the Bulls can’t find a way to stop opposing small forwards, they won’t sniff the playoffs. There are too many elite wings in this league. Chicago will get torched night in and night out. OG Anunoby’s performance was simply a glimpse into the future.