Bulls Drop Seventh Straight; Injury Updates on Okoro and Essengue, Questions About Vucevic’s Future
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The Chicago Bulls’ early-season slide continued Sunday night with a 32-point defeat to the Golden State Warriors, marking the club’s seventh consecutive loss. Golden State, playing without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, poured in 38 first-quarter points, hit 8-of-13 from three-point range in that period, and held an 11-6 rebounding edge over Chicago out of the gate.
Head coach Billy Donovan attributed the lopsided result in part to injuries that have forced several Bulls into expanded roles. “We’ve got to be able to stay true to our identity,” Donovan said. “Some of the things that have hurt have been ball-handling and turnovers. We’ve had a lot of responsibilities on particular guys because that’s what has gone out with the injuries, but we’ve got to do a better job.”
After opening the season 5-0, Chicago has fallen to 9-14 and sits 11th in the Eastern Conference. Guard Coby White stressed that the roster remains unified. “Whatever we do, we have to do it together,” he said. “We can’t start pointing fingers. It’s still a very long season.”
Injury Notes
• Forwards Isaac Okoro (back) and Jalen Smith (left hamstring) and guard Kevin Huerter (adductor) completed on-court work before Sunday’s game. The Bulls are 1-7 without Okoro, their top perimeter defender. “He has made progress,” Donovan noted, adding that medical staff will still require a ramp-up period before clearing the trio for game action.
• Rookie forward Noa Essengue chose to undergo surgery on his injured left shoulder rather than play through the issue. “If I waited until the end of the season, I would be gone all summer,” Essengue explained. “If I do it now, I can have all summer” to recover.
Bench Production Slips
Chicago’s reserves have not matched their early-season impact. While injuries have played a role, Patrick Williams, Dalen Terry, and Zach Collins were available Sunday yet the bench still struggled to produce.
Center Spot Beyond 2025-26
Nikola Vucevic is not expected to remain the Bulls’ starting center after this season. Collins could assume the role on an interim basis, but team observers believe a long-term answer is more likely to arrive through the draft.
Source: Hoops Rumors
