Fans will have to wait a bit longer before watching our Chicago Bulls’ (presumed) new starting five in its full glory.
Rim-running new Bulls center Nicolas Claxton will now effectively miss the entire preseason. Per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, the former Brooklyn Nets big man suffered a tweaked hamstring. Johnson reports that Claxton will be reevaluated in two weeks. The Bulls’ final preseason contest is set for next Friday, Oct. 16 — a clash against LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards’ new-look Minnesota Timberwolves.
According to Johnson, new head coach Tiago Splitter has confirmed what we’ve all been expecting: he’ll start point guard Josh Giddey, new All-Star shooting guard Norman Powell, small forward Matas Buzelis, and rookie power forward Caleb Wilson for Wednesday’s first preseason bout, a game against the Phoenix Suns. Johnson notes that Splitter suggested “a big” will now fill in what we widely expect will be Claxton’s starting center role.
Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton. © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesWho Will Replace Nicolas Claxton in Tiago Splitter’s Starting Five?
3-and-D power forward/center Jalen Smith feels like the most probable contender. Leonard Miller, Zach Collins, as we know, is already hurt, so we can scratch him. Rookie two-way signing Tobe Awaka and 2025 lottery pick Noa Essengue could both get some additional run sans Claxton.
Awaka is a rebounding machine. After earning 2026 Big 12 Sixth Man honors at Arizona, Awaka went undrafted in June. Chicago quickly snatched him up. Josh Giddey raved that Awaka “maybe the best offensive rebounder I’ve ever seen,” per Johnson. In five Summer League contests for Chicago (across just 21.2 minutes a night), he averaged 6.8 points on 77.8 percent field goals, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks a night.
Splitter once again emphasized the import of a pace-heavy offense, according to The Athletic‘s Joel Lorenzi. Splitter intends to extend his rotation anywhere from nine to 11 players during the regular season, indicating it would be “impossible” to trot out an eight-man lineup given his plans for maximum speed.
Chicago Bulls center Nic Claxton.Nicolas Claxton’s Bulls Fit
Claxton is owed $44.4 million across the next two seasons of his declining current deal, initially inked with Brooklyn.
The 27-year-old has been struggling to recapture his 2022-23 prime self, when he finished ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. A back injury has afflicted his rim protection and speed. Still, Claxton claimed during his Media Day presser last week to have recovered.
In 69 healthy games for a tanking Brooklyn team last year, Claxton averaged 11.7 points on 57.1 percent field goal shooting and 61.6 percent free throw shooting, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.7 steals a night.
Theoretically, should he at least reclaim some of the athleticism that made him so lethal alongside Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and (briefly) James Harden, Claxton could abet the Bulls in a major way. He’d be a perfect lob threat for Giddey, alongside Buzelis and Wilson. He could also help shore up Chicago in the paint — given that Giddey and Buzelis don’t yet project as plus defenders.
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