The Chicago Bulls lost to the Memphis Grizzlies, 104-100, in their second preseason game.
Looking beyond the rough moments and the loss, it continued to provide valuable insights into the team. Three players had strong performances, which should give fans hope despite the loss.
Norman Powell can be this team's DeMar DeRozan
During his time with Chicago, DeMar DeRozan was reliable. The player fans could count on offensively, especially late in games.
Norman Powell has shown he can bring this element to the Bulls this season. Watching Powell play in preseason, he looks like a veteran player on the offensive end.
In the win over Phoenix, he had 14 points in 14 minutes. He shot 3-for-4 from three and had six free-throw attempts.
Against Memphis, Powell scored 17 points in 19 minutes. He had 12 attempts at the free-throw line - very DeRozan-esque.
Powell has shown consistency in his first two preseason games with Chicago. This proves he can be a player Chicago relies on to deliver strong performances throughout the regular season.
Leonard Miller can be the x-factor off the bench
Leonard Miller had a strong performance against the Suns: 14 points in 14 minutes, 5-for-7 shooting from the field and two steals.
Miller followed that up with a great game against the Grizzlies. He finished with 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the field. He also had 11 rebounds.
Having a strong forward option off the bench will be big for Chicago. The forward unit will be its strongest with Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson out there. However, Miller should be counted on to produce on the floor, making the Bulls' forward lineup still strong with Wilson or Buzelis subbed out.
This could give valuable breathing room. Tiago Splitter may be able to give Buzelis or Wilson more rest when needed if Miller can be reliable, which it seems he will be.
Wilson shows he can dominate offensively
Wilson's first half featured only one point. He shot 0-for-2 from the field and 0-for-1 from three.
By the end of the game, Wilson had 21 points on 7-for-17 shooting from the field and 5-for-11 shooting from deep. He scored 20 points in the second half.
Wilson thrived on offense. This showed two things. The first is that he can bounce back after a quiet first half on offense.
Secondly, he displayed that he can be counted on to have a very strong offensive stretch in a game.
These two traits are ones that fans should expect from a rookie like Wilson. He continues to show why his ceiling is a high one.
Although he didn't make the 3-pointer that very likely would have won the game, it was nice to see him confident enough to take that shot in a late-game situation.
In general, it's good to see Wilson shoot well from beyond the arc. Knocking down the 3-ball at a good rate will make his offense even harder to stop.
Add us as a preferred source on Google