Dailyn Swain and Jordan Hawkins are now listed day-to-day with illness and project back Oct. 24. Chicago plays at Milwaukee on Oct. 23, two days after Toronto beat them by 43 and never trailed.
Sick list shrinking. Swain and Hawkins were both listed out for Toronto with illness. Both have been upgraded to day-to-day, and Oct. 24 is the projected return, which points to the Wizards game more than Milwaukee. The bench scored 27 in the opener. It needs both of them back.
Nine turnovers. Caleb Wilson's first regular-season line: 16 points on 7-of-21, 1-of-8 from three, nine turnovers and minus-45 in 33 minutes. The No. 4 pick was on the floor at the finish. The minutes are an investment. The giveaways are what it costs, and Toronto made him pay for every one.
Never led, never close. Toronto opened on a 7-0 run, led 43-23 after one quarter and pushed the margin to 48. There were no lead changes and no ties. Kawhi Leonard, Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes scored 23 apiece. Josh Giddey was minus-39 in 24 minutes.
Who showed up. Buzelis scored 17 while making only two field goals, going 13-of-16 at the line, and 14 of his points came in the fourth. Tre Jones gave 13 in 13 minutes off the bench. Zach Collins, back in uniform, was plus-7 in nine minutes. Only Collins and Jones finished in the plus column.
Claxton still weeks out. Nic Claxton, the second-highest salary at $23.1 million, remains out with his hamstring and is projected back Nov. 4. Until then the middle belongs to Jalen Smith, who had 15 points and eight boards on 5-of-10 in Toronto, and to Collins.
Milwaukee next. The Bucks are also 0-1 under Taylor Jenkins and list no injuries. They went 32-50 last season with a 118.3 defensive rating, and Ryan Rollins led them at 17.3 points. Chicago won there 125-104 on Oct. 14, but that was preseason and counts for nothing now.
The open question. After the opener, Joe Cowley compared the rebuild to a demolition site in the Chicago Sun-Times. One night does not settle that. What matters in Milwaukee is whether Wilson can keep his turnovers to a handful, because nine a night buries any lineup Splitter puts around him.
When will Nic Claxton return for the Bulls?
Claxton is out with his hamstring and is projected back on Nov. 4.
Will Dailyn Swain and Jordan Hawkins play against the Bucks?
Both are day-to-day with illness and project back on Oct. 24. That makes the Wizards game the likelier return, not Milwaukee on Oct. 23.
