The Bulls are 1-5, 14th in the East, and carry a four-game skid into a week with Philadelphia twice and New York in between. They get three days off first, and Claxton's hamstring is projected to clear in time for the Knicks on Nov. 4.
The slate. Nov. 2 at Philadelphia. Nov. 4 at New York. Nov. 8 back home against the 76ers. No back-to-backs anywhere. After three games in seven days, two of them in Boston, the Bulls finally get three days between games before two straight on the road.
Circle Wednesday. New York is the game that matters. The Knicks won 133-127 in Chicago on Oct. 28, and ESPN's headline credited Jalen Brunson with 38. Bulls.com called them the defending champions. It is also the date Claxton is projected back. That night shows whether this group can close against a real opponent.
Claxton's clock. Claxton still has not played for his new team. He is out with a hamstring issue, and Nov. 4 is the projected date. The defense needs him badly. A 121.6 defensive rating through six games is a number no rotation survives, and an offense at 105.9 cannot cover for it.
Who is available. Dailyn Swain was upgraded from out on Oct. 31 with a back issue and is projected back for Philadelphia. Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith were both cleared Oct. 30. Outside of Claxton, Tiago Splitter should have nearly everybody for Monday, which takes away the injury excuse.
Fix the start. Friday in Boston the Celtics led 44-25 after one and by 32 at their peak. Splitter burned two first-quarter timeouts trying to stop runs. The Bulls won the last quarter 37-26, too late to matter. Caleb Wilson scored 23 with six threes, and the Chicago Sun-Times reported he called out the team and himself afterward.
The five and the bench. The best unit so far, Wilson, Buzelis, Giddey, Smith and Powell, carries a net rating of minus 13 across 74 minutes. That is the ceiling right now. Friday the bench managed 37 points, while Tre Jones finished minus 22 in 20 minutes and Leonard Miller minus 18 in 11.
Where they stand. Six games in, the hole is still shallow. Chicago sits one game behind Miami for 10th and two behind Atlanta for sixth. The current pace projects to 14-68. Three games against two East rivals this week decide whether that projection is early noise or an honest read of this roster.
When will Nic Claxton make his Bulls debut?
He is out with a hamstring issue and projected to return Nov. 4 at the Knicks. He has not played for Chicago yet.
Who do the Bulls play this week?
They play at Philadelphia on Nov. 2, at New York on Nov. 4 and at home against Philadelphia on Nov. 8. None of the three is a back-to-back.
