3 Studs, 2 Duds from Bulls' preseason win over Cavaliers

Preseason games don't count and all that, but the Chicago Bulls began the 2024-25 NBA season undefeated after hanging on for a 116-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The team's identity for the season was evident in the first 90 seconds. Head Coach Billy Donovan called a time-out a minute and a half into the first exhibition game because his team wasn't playing hard enough, physical enough or fast enough.

The Bulls' game plan for this season is already clear: run, run, run and run some more.

At times, that worked against the Cavaliers.

When Chicago can get stops and grab rebounds, it has the personnel to be successful in transition. Unfortunately, those stops and rebounds were few and far between in Cleveland, and it looks like that might be the case all season.

There were some clear bright spots, though, and some reasons to be optimistic about watching a fun Bulls team in 2024-25, even if it doesn't become a winning one.

Here are three studs and two duds from Chicago's road win over the Cavaliers.

Stud: Matas Buzelis

There's really nowhere else to start. The Bulls already look like they got a steal in Matas Buzelis.

The 6-foot-10 forward finished the night with 10 points, five rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. It wasn't necessarily the stats that stood out, though, as much as the eye test.

Buzelis simply looks and moves like an NBA player. He made his presence felt quickly as he connected on a floater from the elbow for his first basket and hit a turnaround fadeaway in the paint.

The highlight of his night was when the 19-year-old did precisely what Donovan wants to see - grab a rebound, lead a fastbreak and connect on an alley-oop with Julian Phillips. It was a remarkable play from a 6-10 rookie.

It's already time to start discussing whether or not Buzelis should be in the starting lineup on opening night.

Dud: Patrick Williams

If Buzelis does indeed become a starter, it could be at the expense of Williams, who didn't show much at all in Chicago's preseason opener.

The Bulls signed the 23-year-old to a five-year, $90 million extension in the offseason, another curious move in a long line of curious moves by Chicago's front office.

It's only one preseason game, but there are already questions about whether Williams will live up to that deal.

The Bulls starting power forward scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in a little more than 13 minutes.

He also turned the ball over three times, committed two fouls, missed both three-point attempts and shot 33.3 percent from the field.

Even if Williams can stay healthy, this kind of production will, or at least should, relegate him to a bench role.

Stud: Ayo Dosunmu

As long as Zach LaVine is around, the trio of Josh Giddey, Coby White and LaVine will be in Donovan's starting lineup. That makes Ayo Dosunmu one of the first players off the Bulls' bench, and one preseason game may have been enough for him to lock down this year's sixth-man role.

Dosunmu had 10 points in 16 minutes and hit two of Chicago's eight (ouch) total threes. He was also one of, if not the Bulls' best defenders. His 82.5 defensive rating was the best of any sure-fire rotation player.

If he can provide that level of defense - a level most of Chicago's players can't - while knocking down open threes, he'll be playing a lot of minutes this season, whether LaVine is around or not.

Dud: Nikola Vucevic

It wasn't necessarily Vucevic's production that puts him in this category. He finished with a 12-point, 10-rebound stat line on 60 percent shooting; essentially a normal Vuc night.

But he looked even slower with the Bulls now heading off to the races whenever possible. His poor defense was also on full display, especially early in the game.

Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with 19 points, 17 of which came in the first half, on 60 percent shooting. Vucevic had no answer for a longer, more athletic and explosive player.

His 112.5 defensive rating was second-worst of any Bulls player behind only Williams.

The 33-year-old center should see his minutes severely cut this season. He doesn't fit what Donovan and Chicago want to do on either end of the floor.

Stud: Josh Giddey

Several players could be considered "studs" in last night's game. White had a game-high 21 points and shot 3-of-7 from deep. But that's what's expected of him this season.

Julian Phillips led the Bulls in minutes and finished with nine points and four rebounds, two of which came on the offensive end late in the fourth quarter. He showed off the athleticism that makes him such a promising prospect.

Jalen Smith had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds as he makes the case to supplant Vucevic.

But Giddey showed glimpses of why he's a perfect fit for this Bulls squad.

He struggled in the first half but came out hot in the third quarter, scoring nine points while adding four rebounds, an assist and a steal. He got into the paint where he's most comfortable and was 4-of-7 shooting in the period.

He struggled from the outside, which is expected from the 21-year-old. But his final stat line of 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks shows how Giddey can affect the game in multiple ways.