San Antonio Spurs vs Chicago Bulls Prediction: Bulls can spoil Spurs' party

The NBA is on and what a great slate of games we have seen. The performances have been terrific right off the boards and there are more than five players whose points per game exceed 30 which is likely to change as defenses are now surely becoming more potent. There have been some unexpected starts but as we head deeper, teams will reveal their true nature and depth. Will San Antonio Spurs continue to sizzle the scene or will the Chicago Bulls have the last say here?

The Spurs come into this game after losing 122:134 to the Minnesota Timberwolves despite a 27 points outburst by Keldon Johnson. Despite the loss, the Spurs have exceeded expectations and have won three out of five games, which includes wins against the Wolves and the 76ers. They did suffer a blow when Devin Vassell was ruled out due to injury and he will not be participating in this game as well.

Keldon Johnson seems to have taken the next step and is averaging 20+ points a game, once again, doing a great job of both inserting jumpers and also nailing his drives. Jakob Poeltl has been solid rebounding-wise and has also wreaked havoc in the paint. Tre Jones has grown by leaps and bounds and this can be a breakthrough season for the terrific shooter and playmaker.

One big issue for the Spurs is their defense and they are among the bottom-five teams in points allowed per game which is not a surprise after the departure of their defensive enforcer DeJounte Murray. The Spurs aren’t expected to be even close to the Playoffs contention but so far, they have fielded an offensive system where ball rotation is emphasized and this is a course that does run with Greg Popovich-coached units.

Chicago Bulls come into this game after defeating the Indiana Pacers 124:109 as Zach LaVine hurled in 28 points. They have also won three out of five games which isn’t a surprise considering their dynamic scoring lineup. They did have a couple of disappointing losses in a row against the Cavaliers and the Wizards, the one against the Cavaliers was by 30+ points while the one against the Wizards was just by two points.

DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine have interchangeably been the leading scorers whereas DeMar has built a solid playmaking game thanks to his days with the Spurs under coach Pop. They have received immense contributions from Center Nikola Vucevic but without Lonzo Ball, the Point Guard position has underperformed to a large extent and Coby White’s impact has reduced. Sophomore Ayo Dosunmu has been impressive, averaging around 13 points on 51% shooting.

One issue early has been the long-range shooting and the team finds itself among the bottom five squads in terms of total three points attempted. Their overall shooting percentage of 45% isn’t terrible but maybe a 1-2% increase is needed as their three-point shooting can’t make up for the lost ground. The Bulls do miss Lonzo Ball, whose absence has hurt the playmaking, defensive, and shooting end in big ways.

• Bulls: OUT: Lonzo Ball, QUESTIONABLE: Zach LaVine;
• Spurs: OUT: Joshua Primo, Devin Vassell.

• Likely 20+ Points Scorers: DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine(QUESTIONABLE), Keldon Johnson;
• Likely 5+ Assists Dishers: Tre Jones, DeMar DeRozan, Ayo Dosunmu;
• Likely 10+ Rebounds Grabbers: Jakob Poeltl, Nikola Vucevic.

The Spurs looked less effective without Devin Vassell who will not play here, while for the Bulls, they can be leaner if Zach LaVine doesn’t play. The Bulls will need to take care of business against the ball-movement of the Spurs as they themselves play a much more iso-style of basketball. The Spurs can score quickly from all areas so the Bulls defense will be tested here.

For the Spurs, the challenge will be stalling the Bulls in the half-court situations as their defense is lacking in both transition and the slowed-down version. DeMar DeRozan can have a big game here and I fail to see which Spurs player can keep him down on a regular basis. I see the Bulls winning regardless of Zach LaVine’s availability. The points range can be 225-235 here.