Often mocked as perennial Play-In Tournament participants, perhaps no one in the league is more familiar with being a middling team hovering around .500 than the Chicago Bulls. Despite this, the Bulls have
shown a strong start to the season, propelled by their young guard, Josh Giddey, who is listed as questionable after an ankle roll over the weekend. The Bulls need guard play too, as they are without a key piece, guard Coby White, already. White has yet to make his season debut due to an offseason calf injury and former Spur Tre Jones has been filling the other starting guard spot alongside Giddey in the meantime. Overall, Chicago is developing an identity around playing with pace, filled out by second-year up-and-comer Mata Buzelis and stretch-big center Nikola Vuvevic.
For San Antonio, they are coming off a strong win in the clutch against a scrappy New Orleans Pelicans team. This will be De’Aaron Fox’s second game this season. He showed he needs no ramp-up time, putting up 24 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in his season debut. This pairs well with reigning Rookie of the Year, Steph Castle, who is making a clear leap this season, having held down the guard duties in Fox’s absence, and dished out 14 assists against New Orleans. The Spurs are still missing their current Rookie of the Year candidate, Dylan Harper, who is nursing a calf strain.
San Antonio Spurs (7-2) at Chicago Bulls (6-3)
November 10th 2025 | 7:00 PM CT
Watch: FDSS | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Luke Kornet, ankle (questionable), Dylan Harper, calf (out)
Bulls Injuries: Josh Giddey, ankle (questionable), Patrick Williams, finger (probable), Coby White, calf (out), Zach Collins, wrist (out)
What to watch for
- The De’Aaron Fox trade last season was by far the most intriguing veteran Spurs acquisition in quite some time. Unfortunately, the dynamic pairing with Wembanyama was cut short last season due to injury. Now both are at full strength and Fox had a dynamic showing out in his season debut. Known as a clutch scorer and perhaps the fastest player in the league with the ball, Fox adds an entire new dimension to this already flowering San Antonio offense.
- Next to Fox in the backcourt, Stephon Castle continues his meteoric rise. Castle has been a delight for fans all season. His game fills any and all needs of the team, ranging from defense, scoring, passing, and beyond. The athleticism, combined with his developing basketball IQ— tutored by Chris Paul last season—gives him All-Star potential.
- Currently sitting at 5th in pace and averaging a 6th fastest 13.7 seconds per offensive possession, this Bulls team likes to move the ball up the court. If available, their offense will continue to be pushed by Josh Giddey, who is averaging a near triple-double: 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, all career highs. Giddey has always been a strong passer and rebounder. His only flaw appeared to be his shooting, which may no longer be the case. He’s averaging 47.4 percent on spot-up threes and a respectable 35.3 percent on pull-up threes. This, paired with their stretch-five Nikola Vucevic, averaging 47.2 percent from deep, will try and pull the Spurs defense as much as possible.
- Wembanyama has continued to struggle offensively, averaging only 17 points over the last four games. Since the loss to the Phoenix Suns, defenses are using the technique of guarding him with a power forward, shading a second defender as he tries to establish his post position, and sending two as soon as he touches the ball. The Spurs will need to find more creative ways to get him involved and it’s something to watch as the season develops. Much of this can be helped by the return of Fox. He’s another piece on the chessboard for defenses to try and keep up with, which can give Wembanyama more room to heat up. Chicago may be a good opponent to get him cooking again, as they currently rank 21st in defense rating adjusted for strength of schedule per dunksandthrees.com.
