Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls Prediction: Preseason battles are tricky

The NBA Preseason is on and to be honest, it is just not the same feel as the Regular Season where rotations are clear and teams have a more set agenda for most parts. Preseason is like practise time and most main players are on minutes restriction while the coaches looking closely at the talent at hand to decide who will make the final cut. Such scenarios will play out when Toronto Raptors take on Chicago Bulls.

The biggest question for the Bulls this season will be if they can preserve the health of their starters. Last season, their starters logged most minutes per game and with OG Anunoby gone, the team depth was hit even further. This season, the team did bring in Otto Porter Jr. but their guard depth remains unchanged and to be honest, at least, in my opinion, they didn’t do enough in the offseason.

But that doesn’t mean that they have an average roster. The defense can switch a lot and with the backcourt of Fred Van Vleet and Gary Trent, driving lanes and shooting spaces are sparse. Pascal Siakam is a wonderful all-around player while OG Anunoby’s presence helps anchor the defense in multiple areas. Chris Boucher and Precious Achiuwa bring toughness off-the-bench but the Raps need more work in terms of their offensive consistency.

The Bulls will run it back with the duo of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, two players who can take over the offense. DeMar led the offensive effort last season in what was his best season in various ways. However, it was Lonzo Ball who acted as the “X-Factor” last season as he was nailing open jumpers, passing the rock well, pushing the pace, helping on the rebounding end and playing solid defense. When he went down, the Bulls’ campaign folded.

The team does have some decent guard depth with Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso, and Ayo’s development will be a big factor for Chicago. Patrick WIlliams will be playing a big role but Nikola Vucevic’s defense will be important as he was a bit erratic last season. There is no shortage of offensive firepower for the Bulls but it will be their defense that is going to be play the central role.

Since this is a Preseason game, be ready for last minute announcements where names of the key players are missing. There is much to discuss when it comes to the match-ups or other dynamics as the rotations are bound to be all over the place. Still, for the sake of it, I’d pick Toronto as the winners since they are playing at home.