Chicago Bulls predicted to have All-Star after surprising upset win
The Chicago Bulls had an unenviable opening matchup: the Detroit Pistons without Coby White. Yet, Chicago pulled out a win and surprised everyone. They looked pretty great in doing so. In fact, the team looked so good that one insider is ready to say that this team will have an All-Star this year, and it’s not even clear which player that will be.
Chicago Bulls could have multiple All-Star-level players this season
More News: Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan earns disappointing NBA rank
The natural All-Star candidate is second-year forward Matas Buzelis. He has limitless potential and started to really look good in preseason. That, plus the unknown factor of Buzelis, meant that he was a likely All-Star candidate, and through one game, that’s been the case. However,
“Even without Coby White, the Bulls opened their season with a 115-111 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. And three different players were a big part of the upset,” Bailey wrote. “Buzelis had 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting and blocked three shots for good measure. Two-time All-Star Nikola Vučević had 28 points and 14 boards.”
Everyone looked pretty great, but the combination of a hot finish to 2024-25 and a really solid opening night suggests that one player is the most likely to get an All-Star nod. “But the likeliest All-Star might be Josh Giddey, who closed his 2024-25 averaging 20.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 9.6 assists over his last 18 games and had 19 points and 11 assists on Wednesday,” Bailey continued. “If he keeps stacking up lines like that, and the Bulls are around .500 when All-Star picks are made, he could sneak in.”
Regardless, the fact that Chicago won without White, who could also generate All-Star buzz himself, is impressive. Doing it in such a manner that it’s not clear who the best player on the team will be this season is an even bigger win, and it suggests that all the talk of another mediocre season in the windy city may be totally overblown. For at least one night, things are really looking up for the Bulls, which has been a long time coming.
Patrick Surtain II Sends Message Ahead of Matchup With Cowboys’ High-Powered Offense
The Denver Broncos are gearing up for what many inside the building believe is their toughest defensive test yet.
Fresh off a stunning fourth-quarter comeback win over the Giants, Denver’s defense now faces Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys, one of the NFL’s top-ranked offenses.
As Mile High Sports noted
“They nearly lead the league in all the passing numbers,” Surtain said. “They’re balanced, too, strong in the run game and efficient in the air. It’s going to be a pretty good challenge.”
At 5-2, the Broncos are one of the league’s stingiest defenses, but Sunday’s matchup against a Dallas offense averaging nearly 400 yards per game will test that identity.
But Surtain made it clear this week that Denver isn’t backing down:
“They’ve got playmakers everywhere,” Surtain said of Dallas’ receiving corps. “CeeDee [Lamb] is one of the best in the game, strong hands, great route runner, dangerous after the catch. And Pickens brings a different kind of physicality. We know exactly what we’re up against.”
Surtain’s confidence mirrors the tone across Denver’s locker room:
“They’re pretty efficient,” Surtain added. “They nearly lead the league in all the passing numbers, and they can run it, too. It’s going to be a great challenge, but this is what we live for as competitors.”
Broncos Defense vs. Cowboys Offense: Strength Meets Strength
The numbers tell the story of two units at the top of their game.
Dallas leads the league in yards per game (390.6), ranks second in points (31.7), and has allowed just eight sacks all season, which is tied for the second fewest in the
Dak Prescott has been surgical, completing 71% of his passes for 1,881 yards, 16 touchdowns, and only three interceptions on the season.
Denver’s defense, however, has been equally elite.
The Broncos allow just 273.1 yards per game (third fewest), 4.49 yards per play (second fewest), and 18.1 points per game (fourth fewest).
They lead the NFL in sacks with 34 while also holding teams to a 29.2% conversion rate on third down and a red-zone success rate under 38%.
Edge rusher Nik Bonitto knows what’s at stake:
“He’s [Prescott] a guy who can make a lot of things happen in the pocket,” Bonitto said. “We’ve got to make life easy for the DBs this week.”
Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, who are both in the top 5 in the NFL in sacks, will look to put more pressure on Prescott and get him uncomfortable.
Denver’s Secondary Proving It’s Among the NFL’s Best
While the pass rush has stolen headlines, Denver’s secondary has quietly become the backbone of the defense.
Surtain continues to shadow top receivers, while Moss, often targeted as the “other” corner, has quietly delivered.
According to Next Gen Stats, Moss has allowed just 20 completions on 45 targets (44%) and only 286 total yards on 264 coverage snaps.
Payton praised his young corner’s resilience:
“[He’s] playing outstanding,” Payton said. “He’s getting a lot of targets, but he’s on to the next play every time.”
That next-play mentality will be critical against an elite Dallas receiving corps led by
With Denver’s defense leading the NFL in sacks and Dallas’ offense ranking near the top in almost every metric, Sunday’s matchup is shaping up as a heavyweight battle between the league’s best offense and the league’s best defense.
“It’s going to be fun,” Surtain said with a grin after practice. “That’s what you play this game for, to face the best.”
