The Chicago Bulls open their 2025-26 season with a victory over the Detroit Pistons. It was a great win for the Bulls against an up-and-coming team known for their interior presence and defense. Surprisingly, the Bulls were able to match the Pistons with defensive playmaking and tough rebounding to gain an unexpected advantage in their season opener.
Over the offseason, the Bulls frequently mentioned a desire to get more physical and play better defense. This game was their first chance to make good on that claim, and against a team that saw massive improvement by doing the same thing a season ago. Fortunately, the Bulls had great effort on defense and on the glass.
The Bulls delivered on their offseason promise
The Bulls' offense was good enough to survive, led by double-doubles from Nikola Vucevic and Josh Giddey, but the story of the game is really the defense. One of the game's biggest surprises was the Bulls' shot-blocking. Chicago racked up eight total blocks, led by Matas Buzelis with 3 blocks of his own. These plays not only helped the Bulls protect the paint on defense, but also led to cross-matches and advantageous positions on offense immediately after.
The Pistons have publicly made it a point to turn defense into offense by forcing turnovers to score fastbreak points. However, on this night, the Bulls gave them a taste of their own medicine. While they were officially credited with only seven fastbreak points, they had many more that resulted from their defensive playmaking. This includes free throws after drawing fouls in transition, which contributed to the Bulls taking 32 free throws.
Perhaps an even bigger surprise was the Bulls' dominance in rebounding. The Pistons were a top-five rebounding team last season, headlined by the monstrous Jalen Duren. He has averaged a double-double for two straight seasons, but was only able to contribute six rebounds in this game. This was largely driven by early and frequent foul trouble, as Duren was unable to contain Vucevic without making illegal contact.
In the first half, the Bulls built up a huge lead and did it with superior physicality. At halftime, the Bulls had a 15-point lead AND a 15-rebound lead. In fact, they doubled Detroit's rebounding total: 30 to 15. Although both leads dwindled in the second half, the Bulls still finished ahead on the boards, 60 to 56. It's a great feather in the cap for a team struggling to establish its physical identity, and it sets the tone well for the rest of the season.
The Bulls get their season off on the right foot with a perfect win. Not only do they take down a division rival with high aspirations, but they also prove that they've made significant team improvements with an outsized impact on winning. Combined with the rise of the Bulls' young stars, the increased physicality and better defense could make the Bulls a dangerous team this season.