After a much-needed break, the Bulls take the floor again as the matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers at the United Center. Both teams will be missing key players, most notably Zach LaVine, who is still in health and safety protocols for Chicago, and Anthony Davis, who suffered a knee injury in L.A.'s loss to Minnesota on Friday.
Chicago will look to shake off the rust with a group that should include DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and Coby White among others. Here's how the Bulls match up with the Lakers on Sunday evening.
Make The Lakers A Jump Shooting Team
Los Angeles is at their best when LeBron James and Co. are getting into the paint, wrecking havoc and creating looks for others. Much like Chicago, L.A. doesn't take a ton of 3-pointers. Making the Lakers resort to jumpers early and often is great path to victory for Chicago.
With Anthony Davis out, there will be even less on the table for the Lakers in terms of pure jump-shooting talent. If the Bulls bring energy and effort in their closeouts, it could be a long night for L.A.
Dictate Where LeBron James' shots come from
With Anthony Davis out, all eyes will be on LeBron James in Sunday's matchup.
James is obviously very capable of creating from his teammates but this Lakers team, with much different personnel, is capable of some cold shooting nights from the perimeter. The key for Chicago will be focusing specifically on where LeBron's shots come from.
Double-teaming James in the low-post may seem like a bad idea on paper, but considering the situation for the short-handed Lakers, forcing the ball out of his hands above all else may be the best course of action.
Be Physical with Russell Westbrook
Lakers guard Russell Westbrook, even in the later stages of hi s career, is still a devastating finisher with a full head of steam. Chicago will need to he disciplined, but physical in guarding Westbrook.
So far in the 2021-22 season, Westbrook is shooting 67% from the free throw line, the third-worst percentage of his career. The Bulls should not worry too much about sending Westbrook to the free throw line, which is why making sure to prevent him getting on fire from the field is key.