The Chicago Bulls opened their 2026-27 season on Wednesday night with a brutal 135-92 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Chicago was outmatched from the opening tip, struggling to generate consistent offense while having absolutely no answer for Toronto's physicality on the other end.

It was about as ugly a start to the Tiago Splitter era as Bulls fans could have imagined. Still, even in a 43-point blowout, there were a few positives worth mentioning.

Here's the Good, Bad and Ugly from Chicago's season opener.

There wasn't much to celebrate Wednesday night, but Jalen Smith and Tre Jones deserve some credit for their performances.

Smith finished with 15 points and eight rebounds on 50% shooting, providing one of the few reliable offensive options for Chicago. Jones added 13 points off the bench and was one of the only Bulls who seemed capable of bringing some stability to an otherwise chaotic offense.

Norman Powell also showed off an important part of his offensive game in the first half. The veteran guard consistently baited Toronto defenders into fouling him on the perimeter, getting to the free throw line with relative ease. On a night when Chicago struggled to create quality looks, Powell's ability to manufacture points was a welcome sight.

Tobe Awaka deserves a mention as well. The rookie grabbed six offensive rebounds in just 14 minutes, showcasing the relentless motor and rebounding instincts that could earn him a larger role moving forward.

Caleb Wilson's NBA debut was certainly one to forget statistically.

The rookie shot just 7-for-21 from the field and committed nine turnovers against Toronto's physical defense. Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard made life miserable for Wilson, forcing him into difficult shots and exposing some of the growing pains that come with being a young player in the NBA.

But there was something encouraging about Wilson's performance. He never stopped attacking.

Even as the turnovers piled up and his shots refused to fall, Wilson continued looking for opportunities to make something happen. He also competed defensively, recording three steals and a block.

There are obvious areas for improvement. Wilson needs to become more efficient, make quicker decisions and understand when to slow things down. Nine turnovers simply cannot become a regular occurrence.

Still, it's much better to see a rookie struggle while playing aggressively than spend his debut hiding from the moment. Wilson wasn't afraid of Toronto's defense, and that mentality should serve him well as he develops.

Unfortunately, this section is going to be a little longer than usual.

Let's start with Josh Giddey, who had an absolutely miserable season opener.

Giddey finished just 1-for-10 from the field, repeatedly turned the ball over on ill-advised jump passes and allowed his frustration to boil over with a technical foul early in the fourth quarter.

The biggest concern wasn't necessarily his shooting. Giddey has never been a particularly reliable scorer. The issue was his inability to control the offense when Toronto started applying pressure.

There's a difference between being an excellent passer and being an excellent floor general. Giddey has already proven he can rack up assists, but he needs to become better at controlling the pace of a game and settling his teammates down when things start falling apart.

Chicago is going to experience plenty of difficult nights this season. Giddey cannot allow those situations to snowball the way they did Wednesday.

Matas Buzelis wasn't much better.

Outside of a fourth quarter in which he finally started attacking and getting to the free throw line, Buzelis was largely invisible offensively. His first-half performance was particularly disappointing, as he looked hesitant to attack and unwilling to take on the offensive responsibility Chicago needs from him.

That has to change.

If Buzelis wants to become one of the foundational pieces of this rebuild, he cannot afford to be a bystander when the offense struggles. He needs to demand the basketball, attack mismatches and embrace the responsibility that comes with being one of the team's most important young players.

The Billy Donovan excuses are gone. There's a new coaching staff, a new system and an opportunity for Buzelis to establish himself as a legitimate centerpiece of this franchise. Now he needs to take ownership of that opportunity.

Finally, we have to talk about the defense.

Chicago's inability to contain the basketball was embarrassing. Toronto consistently broke down Bulls defenders off the dribble, forcing rotations and creating easy scoring opportunities.

A team can have the best help defenders in the world, but none of that matters if nobody can stay in front of the basketball.

The Bulls need to take more pride in their individual defensive assignments. Better communication and rotations will help, but defensive improvement starts with effort and a willingness to fight through physical matchups.

Wednesday night, Toronto was simply the tougher team.

As frustrating as this performance was, Bulls fans shouldn't panic.

Chicago is in Game 1 of Year 1 of a rebuild. Toronto is entering the season with championship aspirations. These are two organizations operating on completely different timelines, and Wednesday's result reflected that reality.

That doesn't excuse the lack of defensive effort, careless turnovers or poor offensive execution. The Bulls should be frustrated with how they played, and Splitter should make sure his players understand that performances like this are unacceptable.

But rebuilding teams are going to have nights like these. What matters is how they respond.

Chicago doesn't need to win every game this season. It needs to compete, develop its young players and establish an identity that can carry this franchise forward.

Wednesday night was an ugly reminder of just how much work remains. Now it's time to see whether this young Bulls team can learn from it.