Bulls Practice Notes: A Starting Lineup Change? Josh Giddey Talks Offense, More

The Chicago Bulls will look a little different on Sunday afternoon.

While it hasn't been made official just yet, all signs point toward Nic Claxton making his Bulls debut. The big man was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets during the offseason to be a significant part of the 2026-27 plans. While the Bulls have fully embraced a rebuilding tone, their mission is to develop young talent in a competitive environment. Claxton is the kind of player who can help them accomplish that.

Indeed, the first couple of weeks have shown just how important Claxton might be for this group. Chicago has looked the opposite of competitive in most games, and a big reason for that has been their painful lack of competent rim protection. Claxton may not be considered the defensive force he once was, but this side of the ball is still his bread-and-butter.

"He knows basketball. He's been around for a long time. He's played important games, playoff games. I think he can bring experience for this group, especially communication," Splitter said after Saturday's practice. "He sees the whole offense that in front of him. He can help our guys navigate screens, switches, all that stuff."

The plan has always been for Claxton to hold down center duties in the starting lineup. Whether that means he will draw the start on Sunday remains to be seen, as the Bulls will likely have him on a tight minutes restriction for his first few games. Nevertheless, a starting lineup change is coming in the near future for the Bulls, which could come with its own new challenges.

Splitter even admitted this week that it's always worrisome when a player misses training camp and the beginning of a season. A very young Chicago team will now have to learn how to coexist with Claxton on the fly. Heck, they were just getting used to life with Jalen Smith!

To be clear, there is certainly a world where Claxton's return solves key problems for the Bulls. While it's unlikely he flips their script entirely, there is no denying he fills a very big hole in the rotation. With that said, it sure sounds like things will remain fluid for Splitter and this starting group.

“I think we got a different thing with Nic coming in and potentially starting the games. But I don’t want to overreact. We haven’t been playing great – I know that. But I want to see how Nic works with that group, and we go from there," Splitter said.

Josh Giddey Still Finding His Way

Nov 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) controls the ball against New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Josh Giddey may be part of this team's young core, but he talks like a veteran leader. The point guard has not shied away from discussing this group's faults. He's also put much of the burden for their slow start offensively on his shoulders, admitting that he must do a better job setting up his teammates.

On Saturday, Giddey broke down some of the team's offensive struggles, stressing that they need to find the right mix between playing uptempo and generating the right shots.

"I think Nic gives us a different dimension to what we've had in terms of that lob threat we've been missing, and Styx is a more pick-and-pop guy that can hit the three. Nic is more roll to the rim. I think we've got to balance it out," Giddey said. "Transition we're good there when we get in the paint, kick it out, make things happen. But I think it's like the early offense, the one-pass offense, where we're bombing contested shots, those are the ones we have to cut back on ...

I guess our diet, our shot selection, especially with the guys that we have, we don't have guys that you give them the ball and let them go one-on-one like a Kevin Durant type of guy. So we've got to be able to do it by committee. Everyone has to get on the same page, and a lot of it comes back to me, doing my job at a better level, getting everyone involved."

If one thing is for sure, Giddey and his head coach are on the same page. Splitter has preached a similar sentiment regarding this roster's lack of a go-to scorer. This Bulls team is built to share the wealth and score on the move.

Still, at times, someone has to be willing to take over when the shots aren't falling. Giddey has not been nearly the same effective downhill scorer he was a year ago. This is another area where the guard said he needs to step up.

Fighting Through Adversity

Oct 24, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter reacts against the Washington Wizards during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tiago Splitter is being put to the test early.

Look, it's hard to blame the Chicago Bulls for their 1-7 record when you glance at the calendar. Aside from the Milwaukee Bucks, essentially every opponent for this rebuilding team has been a playoff-caliber squad. At the same time, the way a young team loses matters. You don't want to see hanging heads or chemistry cracks. And the Bulls were on the verge of both in their last outing against the Knicks.

On the one hand, all these players are all well-paid professionals. They're supposed to come in every day ready to go. On the other hand, many of the youngsters on this team haven't gone through such a troublesome stretch, and it's Splitter's job to teach them how to fight through it.

“I expect them to be focused, I expect them to be competitive. Sometimes, we are not. That’s when the coaching staff, front office, we have to step in and help them to get back on track and be pros," Splitter said.

"There are a lot of young guys here first time being in this situation. It’s all a learning process. How you handle being down, how you handle being up and then losing the game? All those situations are learning experience … Those game situation are extremely important for us to show on film to show their body language, how they approach the next play, how they approach defense after they miss a shot. That’s how we try to teach them and show them the path to get better.”

The good news for the Bulls? They have plenty of film to review in their quest to get better!

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