Bulls appear to find best power forward option in win at Toronto
The Bulls started their third different power forward of preseason on Sunday at Toronto.
But the question remained: Do the Bulls have too many power forwards or none at all?
If nothing else, Sunday's contest seemed to settle on the best current option at the position. Derrick Jones Jr. took his turn in the starting lineup. But after a lackluster first half, the Bulls opened the third quarter with a 20-5 run after Javonte Green stepped into the power forward slot.
The Bulls rode that strong second half to a 115-98 victory over a Raptors team that used its regular lineup. The Bulls improved to 2-1 in preseason with one game left Tuesday against Milwaukee at the United Center.
DeMar DeRozan, who spent nine years in Toronto, produced 21 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals in 27 minutes. Nikola Vucevic added 13 points and 9 rebounds.
Zach LaVine still seemed a little rusty after spending the summer rehabbing from knee surgery. He hit 3 of 9 shots for 9 points in 24 minutes.
Green scored 17 points in 16 minutes and probably cemented a spot in the starting lineup on opening night in Miami. The Bulls ended up outscoring Toronto 68-41 in the second half.
The Bulls had a nice push in the fourth quarter with Jones, Green, Ayo Dosunmu (14 points), rookie Dalen Terry and Coby White on the floor. Terry had a 3-pointer and driving lay in as the Bulls took command, then Jones and Green followed with high-flying fast-break dunks.
Another interesting item from this game was backup center Andre Drummond going 3-for-3 from 3-point range. Drummond was a notoriously bad free-throw shooter early in his career. His lifetime 3-point percentage is .132 and he didn't make any the past two seasons.
Technically, the best choice for a Bulls starting forward would be a 6-foot-9 version of Green. In reality, he's listed at 6-5, but the Bulls won plenty of games last season with him in the starting lineup.
The decision to start Jones made sense, mostly because during the first two games, Jones was 11th in a 10-man rotation, so he didn't play at all in either first half. This move allowed him to get more game action.
"I wanted to give Derrick Jones a chance," coach Billy Donovan confirmed before the game. "It's been two straight preseason games where he hasn't really gotten in until the end of the third or fourth quarter.
"He's had a really good camp, has played well. We've got some flexibility at that position and wanted to give him an opportunity tonight."
Jones had some good moments last season, but he's also undersized at 6-5 and one of the thinnest players in the NBA. So he's not a natural at power forward, despite his spectacular jumping ability.
The Bulls are hoping to get a more aggressive version of Williams in his third pro season, and that might happen only if he spends less time serving as the fourth option behind DeRozan, LaVine and Vucevic. So playing Williams off the bench is a logical move.
Williams hit just 1 of 8 shots against Toronto, finishing with 6 points and 3 rebounds in 21 minutes. White had a decent all-around game, which included 6 assists, but hit just 3 of 10 shots from the field. Veteran Goran Dragic took the night off.
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