{"id":883442,"date":"2026-10-15T18:12:33","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T18:12:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/883442\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T18:12:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T18:12:33","slug":"chicago-bulls-a-look-at-new-coach-tiago-splitters-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/883442\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Bulls: A look at new coach Tiago Splitter’s system"},"content":{"rendered":"

For most of the summer, Tiago Splitter\u2019s system for the Chicago Bulls existed only in the hypothetical. But after training camp and four preseason games<\/a>, an image is coming into focus of how the Bulls will play in their first season under a new coach.<\/p>\n

Splitter isn\u2019t trying to reinvent the sport. His system is designed to be simple and effective, particularly to aid the development of young players such as Caleb Wilson<\/a> who still are adjusting to the speed and complexity of the NBA.<\/p>\n

The Bulls ranked 23rd in the league last season in offensive rebounding with 10.4 per game. Splitter\u2019s Portland Trail Blazers, meanwhile, ranked second with a 14.1 average \u2014 and led the league in second-chance scoring with 18.5 points per game.<\/p>\n

Splitter intends to bring that same emphasis to the Bulls.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that we weren\u2019t really used to,\u201d guard Tre Jones said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get everyone on the same page there, just crashing on the boards.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, everybody needs to crash. Instead of it just being a couple guys each possession or a couple spots on the court, it\u2019s everybody trying to go in some way or shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

The effectiveness of this tactic has been somewhat limited in the preseason because of the absence of centers Nic Claxton, Zach Collins<\/a> and Tobe Awaka. Awaka \u2014 who is expected to return in time for Wednesday\u2019s regular-season opener after suffering knee soreness from a collision \u2014 is a particularly elite offensive rebounder who could carve out a niche for himself through that skill.<\/p>\n

But offensive boards don\u2019t belong to the bigs alone. Even guards like Jones will be asked to pursue shots and crash in their own way, rather than heading back toward the defensive end to guard against a potential fast break.<\/p>\n

This is a slight gamble due to the opening it leaves opposing teams, but the Bulls are confident the risk is worth the reward.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that analytics backs up as well,\u201d Jones said. \u201cWe can steal more possessions throughout the game, get more shots up that way as well, and it leads to more points.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something little, but it wears on a team throughout the game. \u2026 If all guys are going, they\u2019ve got to box out as well. They can\u2019t really leak out as much. There\u2019s ways to do it where you\u2019re not just shooting yourself in the foot.\u201d<\/p>\n

This commitment to offensive rebounding is designed to annoy opponents \u2014 and that\u2019s a common theme of Splitter\u2019s vision for the Bulls, both this season and in the long term.<\/p>\n

Jones described the Bulls\u2019 defensive mindset as \u201ctrying to climb up into\u201d opposing teams, applying pressure high and creating discomfort wherever possible. This translates into perimeter pressure, something the Bulls struggled with in the past because they lacked a rim protector on the block \u2014 which they hope to alleviate with Claxton<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The length and mobility of the Bulls\u2019 deep frontcourt<\/a> also will contribute to a layered approach toward switching at the point of attack. The Bulls feel comfortable asking players such as Claxton and Matas Buzelis to switch up and down positions, but that flexibility also can be a challenge for younger defenders.<\/p>\n

\"BullsBulls forward Matas Buzelis heads to the bench ahead of coach Tiago Splitter in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Grizzlies on Oct. 9, 2026, at the United Center. (John J. Kim\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n

Whether switching or staying, players such as Wilson face a steep learning curve to perfect this style of defense.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, when it comes to screen navigation, I\u2019m humongous,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cSo it\u2019s hard to get through screens. I\u2019m working on being more physical before it, being in the right place on the court.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the biggest adjustment for me. I don\u2019t feel like I have trouble guarding someone one-on-one. Somebody just blowing past me on the perimeter, I don\u2019t feel like that happens as much as me just not being in the right spot. It\u2019s stuff that you learn as a rookie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Splitter talks often about playing by \u201csmall rules\u201d that shape a team\u2019s approach to any individual play. These rules exist on offense and defense, creating a simplified framework by which Splitter hopes his young team can navigate games on its own rather than requiring possession-by-possession guidance.<\/p>\n

At times, it will be important to step in and reset for Wilson and his young teammates. But Splitter doesn\u2019t want the offense to feel overly structured, especially for a developing group that\u2019s more focused on learning good habits than installing a complicated playbook.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a balance,\u201d Splitter said. \u201cWhen you have random basketball, when you\u2019re running in transition, when you\u2019re just playing out of small rules that we have \u2014 running to the corners, playing fast, quick pick-and-rolls, flair \u2014 that\u2019s a little bit like playing a position and it\u2019s random. It\u2019s hard to call a specific play.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you call a play, it\u2019s a little different. That\u2019s slower, that\u2019s after a free throw, after a dead ball. This is when you get to give the ball to the guys you want and try different things.\u201d<\/p>\n

That experimentation won\u2019t stop when the regular season starts. Although Splitter\u2019s system is taking shape, it can be expected to adapt and grow throughout this season as the new coach learns his team\u2019s strengths \u2014 and its limitations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For most of the summer, Tiago Splitter\u2019s system for the Chicago Bulls existed only in the hypothetical. But…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":883443,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[62693,7329,19798,355,56269,99,222193,270005,27553],"class_list":["post-883442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-caleb-wilson","tag-chicago-bulls","tag-matas-buzelis","tag-nba","tag-nic-claxton","tag-sports","tag-tiago-splitter","tag-tobe-awaka","tag-tre-jones"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=883442"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/883442\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/883443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=883442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=883442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=883442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}