3 Takeaways & Player Grades: Several New Bulls See the Floor in Loss to Raptors

The Chicago Bulls were not supposed to win tonight's game.

After making seven different trades over the last handful of days and gutting the bulk of their rotation, the Bulls have a long road ahead. Adding that many new players mid-season is going to come with a steep learning curve for everyone involved. So, when you think about it, only losing 123-107 is pretty impressive!

In all seriousness, the final score doesn't reflect how tight this game really was. The Bulls were in until deep in the third quarter, and the new guys deserve a tip of the cap for the effort they showed in trying to immediately work with one another.

3 Takeaways

At Least the Identity Carried Over

The Chicago Bulls are leaning on two new starters, one new backup big man, and two players signed to two-way contracts. But you couldn't necessarily tell.

Yes, there were some awkward possessions with poorly communicated screens and lots of pointing, but the Bulls' style of play was shockingly familiar. All season long, they have relied on uptempo play and equal opportunity offense. The new group was committed to that identity from the jump.

As they settled into the game, the offensive side of the ball proved to be shockingly efficient. The Bulls followed up a shaky 25-point opening frame with a 56.0 percent shooting effort in the second quarter for 33 points. They went 7-9 in the restricted area and drained five triples.

Interestingly enough, new big man Guerschon Yabusele was doing a lot of the damage with high-energy play, which included knocking down two of Chicago's threes. He went into halftime with 10 points and 5 rebounds, marking only his second double-digit scoring outing of the season. New guard Anfernee Simons also joined him in double figures with 11 points on 3-6 shooting from downtown.

Yuki Kawamura was another unlikely source of offense. The smallest player in the NBA has received more playing time over the last handful of games, and he has made the most of it. Kawamura dropped 7 dimes in less than 8 minutes of action during the first half. He was the driving force behind Chicago's recognizable and successful ball movement. Overall, the team assisted on 17 of their 23 made field goals over the first half.

This confidence from a hot second quarter carried over into the third. Down only 65-58, the Bulls would go on to tie the game at 73 apiece. Four different players knocked down four consecutive shots from long range: Yabusele, Simons, Ivey, and Buzelis. Ivey also assisted on each of those makes by his teammates, which was encouraging to see.

Nevertheless, the Raptors weren't about to give this ragtag Bulls team something to celebrate. Using their experience and size, they shut the Bulls down with ease over the rest of the night. To little surprise, this new look squad appeared out of sorts down the stretch, shooting 8-24 in the fourth quarter. More than half of those attempts came from deep, as they settled for a lot of jumpers.

Size Concerns

As the Chicago Bulls were putting together this unusual roster, size became an increasing concern. They opted to bring in four guards who stand roughly six-foot-three, as well as an undersized big man in Guerschon Yabusele. While Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips may have failed to earn consistent playing time, they were at least players who brought legitimate length along the perimeter. The same went for Kevin Huerter and Ayo Dosunmu.

To be sure, Toronto is a particularly tough matchup for a small group, even if they do not have a traditional big man to lean on. But tonight still served as an immediate example of the struggles we could see this group face over the next month and a half. Guards were getting swallowed up in the arms of Raptors players and struggled to hold onto the ball at times. The team's underwhelming night at the rim also spoke to their potential issues finishing over larger bodies.

Nevertheless, it was really the defensive side of the ball that proved to be Chicago's downfall. I know, what's new? Toronto shot upwards of 56.0 percent from the field and went 21-27 at the rim. Brandon Ingram was also getting nearly anything he wanted, rising high over defenders to sink his jumpers with ease.

The good news is that Nick Richards is still set to join the fold. The seven-foot-eleven big man will undoubtedly help clean things up at the rim defensively. However, Chicago is also set to welcome Rob Dillingham and Collin Sexton into the mix ... two more small guards with iffy defensive resumes.

Are They Still Going to Win Too Many Games?

Again, the score doesn't reflect just how close this game was for most of the night. The Chicago Bulls played legitimately well considering the circumstances, and each of the newly acquired players looked eager to make an impact. It was honestly hard not to watch and wonder if the Bulls didn't take a big enough step backward.

Simons is a legit scorer. Ivey is a smart player. Yabusele is trying to prove his worth. Heck, the majority of these new players are fighting for their next contract. They have every incentive to play their best basketball, and who is to say that this collective mindset will not carry the Bulls right back to a fourth-straight Play-In Tournament?

Especially once players like Josh Giddey and Tre Jones return – two of the team's most impactful contributors this season – the Bulls could find themselves in a strange spot. Would they ever consider sitting guys later on for a chance at better lottery odds? I doubt it, but Karnisovas said it himself after the deadline: “The Play-In is not our goal ... We know where we are in the standings, and we’re not satisfied with being in the middle as an organization or for our fans."

Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Guerschon Yabusele of the Chicago Bulls — Feb 5, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Bulls forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) blocks a shot from Toronto Raptors forward Gradey Dick (1) in the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Guerschon Yabusele – A
Stats: 15 PTS, 11 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL

Guerschon Yabusele looked thrilled to be out of New York. The French native ran with the opportunity he received tonight and gave the Raptors some serious trouble down low. His strength and ability to absorb contact are things this Bulls team has lacked in the post for a while.

Matas Buzelis – B+
Stats: 18 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST

Matas Buzelis is going to have to get used to being the aggressor. He had a couple of nice possessions tonight where he attacked Toronto off the bounce and finished some tough looks around the rim. Still, shooting 7-11 from the field, I want to see him taking even more shots the rest of the season.

Anfernee Simons – B
Stats: 22 PTS, 3 AST, 1 BLK

Anfernee Simons is ready to shoot. Playing a limited role in Boston, Simons was eagerly firing away from long range, ending the night 6-13. Those six makes set a new franchise record for a player in their Bulls debut, per Bulls PR.

Jaden Ivey – B-
Stats: 13 PTS, 6 AST, 3 STL

You could see Jaden Ivey was overthinking things at times, and rightfully so. With Josh Giddey sidelined, he was the one tasked with trying to be the primary set-up man, and that's really darn hard when you don't know your teammates! Still, he came up with a couple of timely buckets and gave Bulls fans a glimpse of the IQ he can bring to the floor.

Patrick Williams – C-
Stats: 9 PTS, 2 AST, 1 BLK

Patrick Williams shot 3-12 from the field tonight. He shouldn't be taking more attempts than Matas Buzelis. I'm very curious to see if Leonard Miller will give him a run for some playing once he arrives this week.

Mac McClung – D+
Stats: 4 PTS, 1 AST, 1 REB

The slam dunk champ go into for 13 minutes tonight, and let's just say he didn't look the part.