On a Sunday evening, following through on Coach Billy Donovan’s hints from the previous day, key players including Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Alex Caruso were rested. It was quite fitting that Torrey Craig started alongside Patrick Williams in the Chicago Bulls’ 119-102 preseason loss to the Denver Nuggets.

In the lead-up to the game, Torrey Craig, like DeRozan, emphasized his role in pushing Patrick Williams to his limits. He noted his responsibility to extract the maximum potential from Williams, engaging in competitive practice sessions, friendly trash talk, and physical play to bring out a more competitive edge in the young talent. Williams and Craig share a connection, both hailing from the Carolinas, with Craig residing just 40 minutes away from Williams’ hometown.

While Sunday night didn’t represent Williams’ peak performance, it did showcase his most aggressive offensive display of the preseason. Williams came out strong, scoring 10 points in the first quarter and ultimately tallying 20 points on an efficient 8-for-14 shooting.

Coby White also contributed significantly with 20 points for the Bulls. The team will wrap up their preseason schedule with home games on Tuesday and Thursday. Coach Donovan mentioned on Saturday that he intends to increase the minutes for the starters in these final two games in preparation for the regular-season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 25. This strategy is particularly crucial as three starters and a key reserve player were rested on Sunday, allowing the team to gradually return to full strength.