Bulls Notes: Some Positive Signs? Schedule Only Gets Tougher, Josh Giddey's Growth

Tiago Splitter could see his vision coming to life on Wednesday night.

The Chicago Bulls may have fallen victim to the Knicks' championship pedigree in the fourth quarter, but they still put on a show at the United Center. Chicago competed alongside New York for a full 48 minutes in the loss, and they did so largely due to their offensive energy.

Right from the jump, the Bulls looked like the more athletic team. Did it help that New York was on the back end of a back-to-back? Certainly, but this is an advantage Chicago is supposed to have nearly every night. Built around multiple springy young wings and some strong transition playmakers, Splitter has stressed the importance of pushing the tempo and attacking the paint. Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis set that tone from the jump, and the Bulls were able to sustain it for much of the night.

Chicago shot 21-39 from inside the paint. While it's far from the most remarkable clip, they forced their way to the charity stripe 30 times. They were also able to use this paint penetration to help create better looks from behind the arc. This is a team that wants to play from the inside-out. The Bulls shot 18-42 from downtown, which was by far their best shooting display of the season.

Speaking of which, 32 of their 44 made field goals were assisted, and seven players finished in double figures. Splitter called this out after the game, underscoring that it's far more representative of how this offense should operate.

“I think we moved the ball side-to-side plenty of times, we touched the paint, sprayed the ball out, found shooters," Splitter noted after the game. "We finally made some shots. I think we were due for that. That’s the type of basketball we want to play. Play fast and share the ball on offense.”

What made the Bulls look even better was that their veteran scorer finally broke out. Norman Powell was brought in for matchups like the one on Wednesday night. His job is to help this team stick to their preferred identity, as well as knock down enough shots to give them confidence. Powell did that with an efficient 30 points.

“I thought we did a good job. That’s a good team over there. They are really methodical. They know who they want to play through. They know how to slow the game now," Powell said. "I thought we did a good job executing our game plan, getting out and running, making it a track meet …

That’s a championship team over there. Not getting discouraged when they went on those runs and things like that. I thought it was a good game for us in terms of mentally following the game plan, staying locked in, holding each other accountable, and doing the little things.”

Of course, the game was far from perfect. The Bulls were still crushed on the glass and had one too many turnovers down the stretch. Unfortunately, Powell was responsible for a couple of costly mistakes. Still, this game represented a step in the right direction philosophically. It provided the Bulls with a proof of concept, and their job now is to build on what they accomplished offensively.

Schedule Only Gets Tougher

Oct 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Norman Powell (24) reacts after the game against the New York Knicks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For as much progress as the Chicago Bulls showed against the New York Knicks, sustaining it is going to be absurdly challenging.

Arguably, no team in the NBA has a tougher schedule over the next couple of weeks. Especially when we factor in the inexperience of this current roster, the handful of upcoming games will make even the most optimistic fan need some heartburn medicine.

It will all start with another meeting in Boston on Friday night. Boston is only a few days removed from destroying the Bulls 134-99. They dominated in essentially every department, and they will not have even more of an incentive to do so with the NBA Cup starting up. Don't forget that the tournament standings factor in margin of victory, meaning the starters are likely to battle it out until the very end, no matter the score.

Up next for the Bulls will be a trip to face the new-look Philadelphia 76ers. Then, it's their first stop at Madison Square Garden, only to return for that same 76ers team. But wait, it gets even worse!

Bulls Upcoming Nine Games

Oct. 30 – @ Celtics
Nov. 2 – @ 76ers
Nov. 4 – @ Knicks
Nov. 8 – vs. 76ers
Nov. 11 – vs. Spurs
Nov. 13 – vs. Hawks
Nov. 14 – @ Timberwolves
Nov. 16 – @ Cavaliers

Sitting at 1-4, it's pretty scary to think about what the Chicago Bulls' record might be by the time this is all over. While Wednesday's meeting with the Knicks showed that this squad is making progress, it also showed just how tough it is to close out playoff-caliber teams in close games.

But, hey, at least Caleb Wilson is going into things with the right midnset!

“I feel like it’s good for us to be playing these good teams so early," Wilson said. "It forces us to play to the best of our ability. I definitely feel like we’re going the right way.”

A Step Forward for Josh Giddey?

Oct 23, 2026; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) goes up for a basket in the first quarter of the game between the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Brad Repplinger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Josh Giddey pointed a finger at himself earlier this week. With the Chicago Bulls' offense struggling to find a rhythm, the lead guard said it was on him to help this young group compete better. Likewise, he was brutally honest about adjusting to a new roster and the early troubles he's had finding his own opportunities to score.

At the same time, Giddey sounded confident he would start to right the ship. The Bulls had only four games under their belt, and there is no question that it takes far longer than that to learn a new batch of teammates.

The next couple of weeks will be filled with plenty more ups and downs for Giddey and this team as a whole. But the Bulls' loss to the Knicks served as an example of how the guard is adjusting in real time. He looked far more comfortable locating his teammates and making the right read. Giddey nearly finished with his first triple-double of the year, recording 10 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds.

“Overall, Josh, I think he had a good game," Splitter said. "He’s not forcing anything. He’s passing the game. He had 11 assists, two turnovers. I think he’s been outstanding. Yes, we want him to do that and score 20, but I think he’s reading the game and doing the right thing.”

The lack of turnovers has been promising from Giddey thus far. After coughing it up five times in the opener, the lead distributor has only five turnovers in the last four games. He also finished as a plus-contributor in two of those outings, including a season-high +12 against the Knicks' Top 10-ranked defense.

As Splitter said, the next step for Giddey is to be even more assertive as a scorer. The Bulls saw last year that he's capable of working his way to the free throw line and finishing a few more buckets around the rim. With that said, if there is any area of the box score where Giddey could see a step back, it's in the scoring department. Whether it be the addition of Wilson or Powell, this version of the Bulls may not need buckets from him as consistently.

Anyway, it may not have been a massive leap forward for Giddey, but it was progress. That's about all the Bulls can ask for, especially over this brutal stretch.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X and Facebook for the latest news

Add us as a preferred source on Google