Bulls Battered by Raptors as Expansion Talk Heats Up
The latest episode of CHGO Bulls takes a deep dive into Chicago’s sobering 139-109 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night. The crew—Peck, Big Dave, and Will Gottlieb—analyzed a game where the Bulls were physically overwhelmed and strategically outplayed by a playoff-caliber Toronto squad.
On-Court Struggles and Silver Linings
The discussion centered on how Chicago’s young talent fared against Toronto’s suffocating defensive schemes:
- Matas Buzelis: Despite a quiet start where he failed to register a shot in the opening quarter, the rookie found his rhythm to finish with 19 points before Billy Donovan emptied the bench in the fourth.
- Josh Giddey: The guards struggled to find space against the Raptors’ relentless pressure.
- The Shot Profile Debate: The team addressed Ayo Dosunmu’s recent remarks regarding Billy Donovan’s rigid “shot profile” rules, questioning how these restrictions might be impacting the team’s offensive flow.
NBA Expansion: A New Look for the East?
Beyond the immediate loss, the crew shifted focus to the looming reality of NBA expansion. With a Board of Governors vote expected later this month, a 32-team league—likely featuring Seattle and Las Vegas—seems imminent.
| Potential Impact | Key Concerns for Chicago |
|---|---|
| Realignment | One Western team must move East; the crew fears the Minnesota Timberwolves joining the Bulls’ division. |
| Expansion Draft | The risk of losing depth players to the new franchises. |
| New Rivalries | How a reshuffled Eastern Conference changes Chicago’s path to the postseason. |
Locker Room Intel
Will Gottlieb provided firsthand reporting from the United Center locker room, offering context on the team’s morale following the blowout. The show concluded with a “Plus Minus” segment, tracking the current performance trends of Buzelis, Giddey, and the rest of the roster.
