The Chicago Bulls strengths and weaknesses on full display in opener

The Chicago Bulls got their first win of the new season on their very first try.  Beating the Detroit Pistons 94-88, it is the franchise’s first time being over .500 since 2017. It wasn’t always pretty — they trailed 44-40 at the half — but a win is a win. Especially in the first game of a long NBA campaign that will once again span a full 82 games.

With a day off before they take the court again, there were several things from this one that they can take both good and bad from.

It was a rollercoaster for critics and fans alike.

The Chicago Bulls gave a preview of the ups and downs that could come this season in the season opener

The Bulls shot just 28.0 percent from the floor, were 0-for-5 from three-point range in the first quarter. They also missed their only two free-throw attempts and had four turnovers on a night when both would be subjects of contention.

They were losing the turnover battle 10-6 at halftime

Chicago finished the night shooting 43.0 percent overall and 30.4 percent (7-of-23) from deep. Led by Zach LaVine’s 34 points, it was a crucial third-quarter stretch featuring new Bulls DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball that helped get them back into a game they probably had no business being down in.

LaVine also shot 64.7 percent from the field, had seven rebounds, and four assists.

DeRozan (17/7/2) had some struggles through much of the night, shooting just 5-of-12 en route to 10 first-half points. He was 3-of-5 for seven (clutch) fourth-quarter points, also hitting his lone triple of the game.

Ball also struggled to assert himself early, taking just four attempts in the first half (hitting four) before taking four in both the third and fourth quarters.

He finished the night with 12 points, six boards, four assists, and a block.

However, three turnovers in the second half of a tightly contested game won’t cut it going forward against better competition.

When LaVine went to the bench for a breather with under two minutes to go in the third quarter, the Bulls trailed by two. In the past, that is a time we have seen the Bulls’ offense go in the tank and deficits grow, often by wide margins.

Instead, this time rookie Ayo Dosunmu came in a hit two quick shots, and three of the Bulls next four, before DeRozan and Ball went to work.

By the time LaVine checked back in with 06:22 on the clock in the fourth, the Bulls were up a pair. He was just 1-of-3 from the floor, but did get to the line and hit all six of his free throws.

It’s the smallest of victories. But consider they got just the seven points from Dosunmu and three from Alex Caruso in terms of bench scoring. The rest of the bench was 0-3 between Troy Brown Jr., Alize Johnson, and Javonte Green.

New big man Tony Bradley was a DNP as he still needs to get in shape apparently. The Bulls were also without scoring dynamo Coby White.

Both will be greatly needed as the Bulls bench was outscored 32-10 and outrebounded 17-12.

Nikola Vucevic also had a rough outing, going 7-of-21 from the floor and 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. He also went 1-for-3 in the fourth quarter. But he still managed to walk out with a 15-point, 15-rebound double-double that also saw him get four assists.

The Bulls used turnovers to get back in the game in the third quarter after they were almost undone by their looseness with the rock. They can get away with that against a Pistons team led by a Jerami Grant (24/6/2) but that was missing this year’s first-overall pick, Cade Cunningham. But wins will be much harder to come by if they tighten several things up.