Bulls vs. Pistons game preview and thread: Chicago faces one of the league’s worst

Tonight, our Chicago Bulls are looking to bounce back after running out of steam late against another play-in tournament hopeful, the Toronto Raptors, last night. The team struggled to clean the glass last night against a long Raptors club, being out-rebounded 47-35 on the evening.

Chicago is in for a bit of a schedule break tonight, the second game of a road back-to-back, as it will square off against a lowly 15-47 Detroit Pistons missing three of its four major rotational frontcourt players (see below). So look for a lot of, uh, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III minutes.

That said, Detroit’s top scorer, power forward Bojan Bogdanovic, is apparently set to play tonight, in what will be a fun matchup for new undersized starting four Alex Caruso. Bogdanovic missed the Pistons’ last game, against another terrible team, the Charlotte Hornets, Monday, with a sore Achilles.

Chicago’s charmed, undefeated start to its Patrick Beverley Era is over. But the club can still get “back on track” (if you can define clawing for the 10th seed in the East “on track” at all) with a win tonight (which would make it 3-1 since adding Mr. 94 Feet), against a pretty banged-up Detroit team in the midst of a blatant Tank-O-Rama For Wembanyama. The Bulls are just 1.5 games behind the current Eastern Conference 10th seed, the equally mediocre Washington Wizards. They need to nail “gimme” games like this Pistons matchup.

Injury Report:

The Pistons are of course missing their best player, 2021 No. 1 lottery pick Cade Cunningham, out for the year after incurring a left tibia stress fracture. Starting center Isaiah Stewart is unavailable with a sore right hip, while intriguing rookie center Jalen Duren is out with a sore bilateral ankle. Backup power forward Isaiah Livers is doubtful with a sprained left ankle.

Aside from the Bulls players with bum knees, everyone’s available. Patrick Williams was listed with an ankle sprain but is going to play tonight.

Game Time: 6 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago