Bulls offense is still a work in progress but ball security improving

It’s been a point of emphasis since Tiago Splitter moved his stuff into the Bulls coaching office: Get Josh Giddey to play cleaner offense.

Last season, the veteran point guard handed out a career-high 9.1 assists per game but also established a career-high in turnovers with 3.6. His first year with the Bulls it was 2.9 turnovers per game. Coming from the Spurs culture like Splitter did, that’s a no-no.

So while the sample size is small so far, Giddey entered the game with the defending champions on Wednesday leading the team with 7.3 assists per game but just two turnovers per contest.

“Josh is also getting used to playing solo as bringing the ball (up),” Splitter said. “Before he had a lot of guys that can bring up the ball and create a bit more, but I think he’s doing a tremendous job of not turning the ball over as much. His assist-to-turnover ratio is way better. Yes, I want him to be more aggressive, yes, we’re not playing the way we want to yet. I think the process has been right.”

It may be right but not without problems.

The starters are still feeling each other out as far as shot selection and sharing the basketball, evident by the league-worst 40.6% shooting from the field and 23.8% from three-point range.

Numbers that Splitter feels will turn soon.

“Offensively, we’re getting the shots, most of the time, the shots we want,” Splitter said. “Unfortunately, we’re not making shots right now, which is part of the game. Sometimes you go through slumps, and we’ve got to start to make shots. But the process is right.”

Giddey was on the same page as his coach, feeling like it was just a matter of time.

“Every team coming out of training camp probably feels good about themselves, every team probably says they’re better than people think they’re going to be and blah, blah, blah,” Giddey said. “I believe in the group we have to start putting it together and we look good in stretches and we look horrible in stretches. So it’s just a matter of making those good stretches longer and those bad stretches shorter.”

Speed kills

Splitter was informed that almost 15% of the league was on the injury report before Wednesday’s games and did some self-scouting on how he would handle today’s style of play.

“I think the speed of the game is at a different level,” Splitter said. “If you want to ask me as a former player, the way I played was very slow, so I could not have played at this pace. Maybe as a back-up center. But yeah, the league is fast. Then you get to the games and the pressure, the high intensity is more than the summer, there’s an adjustment there, so you got to be careful how much you play your guys. If you’re not careful with the minutes and the loads, all that, it’s science like two plus two is four.”

Training room

The plan was to continue ramping up Nic Claxton (left hamstring) the next day and then take him on the East Coast swing to Boston, Philadelphia and New York. Does that mean the expected starting center will make his Bulls debut on that trip?

Not so fast.

“We’ll talk to our performance team, see where he’s at,” Splitter said. “He’s probably going to go with us because he’s almost there, just be part of what we’re doing as a group, even on the road. That’s the plan.”

As far as the two other injuries the group has been dealing with Patrick Williams (right adductor strain) and Tobe Awaka (left ankle sprain) remained out.