Once the Chicago Bulls morphed from a half-court team to one that plays at a helter-skelter pace last season, it was painfully apparent that Nikola Vucevic was a square peg in a round hole. In a Dec. 12 matchup with the Charlotte Hornets, head coach Billy Donovan made the decision to bench Vucevic in favor of Zach Collins and Jalen Smith.
And it worked.
Sure, Josh Giddey finished the night with another near triple-double (26 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists). Coby White scored 20 points. Seven players finished in double figures.
Tre Jones returned from injury and scored six points to go along with five rebounds and just one turnover.