'Strength in Numbers': Bulls Starts Season 3-0 Behind Camaraderie

Kevin Lu

Oct 28, 2025, 19:49

Kevin Lu

Oct 28, 2025, 19:49

Updated at: Oct 28, 2025, 20:47

The Bulls' 3-0 start tells a story through numbers alone: six players scored in double figures in the season opener against Detroit, seven reached double digits in the win over Orlando, and after Monday night's stunning comeback victory over Atlanta, the stat sheet revealed eight.

"Strength in numbers," Ayo Dosunmu told CHSN after scoring a team-high 21 points. Entering his fifth year, Dosunmu has showcased a new look offensively this season. But behind his presence under the spotlight stands a resilient group that steps up to contribute when the team needs them most.

The camaraderie didn't start with Sunday's thrilling 128-123 victory. It's been building since the preseason training camp, when Donovan emphasized team effort. As the season tipped off and went on, the Bulls played more beyond that concept.

Oct 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; The Chicago Bulls bench looks on against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

In the season opener against Detroit, the Bulls started the game brilliantly and never forfeited their advantage. Against Orlando, the bench contributed 58 points in a wire-to-wire defensive showcase. And facing the Hawks at home, Chicago leaned on contributions from 10 different players to outlast the opponent.

Donovan revealed in Monday's postgame that when he tried to reinsert Giddey during the fourth-quarter comeback, the Australian guard waved him off.

"I was gonna put him back in," Donovan said. "He said, 'Let them keep playing, they're going well.' And I agreed with him. I think it was the right thing. It speaks to Josh caring about winning and caring about his teammates and looking at the group and they're playing pretty well."

That selflessness has permeated the roster. Kevin Huerter, a former starter bouncing around the league, has embraced his bench role with energy and professionalism. He said earlier in the preseason that he would obey what Donovan told him to do.

“To me, it doesn’t really matter (to start or bench), ” Huerter said in preseason. “I trust Billy, I trust his judgment.”

When someone sat out for injury, the camaraderie showed when someone stepped up to fill the void. Tre Jones, integrated as a backup point guard behind Coby White last season, stood out with 13.0 points while leading with 8.3 assists and 3.3 steals in the recent three games with White (calf) out. The same responsibility applied to Jalen Smith for Zach Collins (Wrist), who scored 16 points in 16 minutes off the bench.

And it came with an elite attitude from Matas Buzelis, who asked coaches in training camp to push him harder. Though he struggled with foul troubles against Orlando, he proactively came to Donovan for a conversation after the game to learn how to conduct himself amid such situations.

Oct 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) defends against Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

“We got off the plane, he grabbed me, we started having the conversation, and he's like, ‘I gotta be better.’ I love that value,” Donovan said before the Hawks game. The second-year homegrown standout went frozen in the first half before he reignited with a reverse jam that electrified the United Center, finishing 10 of his 13 points in the second half.

On the chemistry building and teamwork bond, Dosunmu credited the preseason training routine twice before and after the Hawks game that built chemistry. He compared the Bulls' current camaraderie to brotherhood.

"This group, by far, is probably the closest group in terms of that," Dosunmu said in the Hawks' postgame. "You know how some teams might've been forced in terms of the way we clicked as fast? This group, we can go on a bus ride, we are laughing, we are talking about the NBA, it's more of a brotherhood."

Even veterans like Nikola Vučević have bought in. Despite an unconvincing preseason that raised questions about his effectiveness, Donovan had mentioned his dignity in the camp and professionalism in taking care of his body. For now, the 35-year-old center, leading the team’s scoring (20.0 points) and rebounding (13.0 rebounds) per averages, has been one of the Bulls’ most consistent players through three games, delivering clutch buckets and defensive presence when it matters most.

"We're gonna have to play a lot of people, and I think a lot of guys stepped up," Donovan said. "On different nights, it's gonna be different guys, but we got a lot of contributions from a lot of people."

The group never went back down while facing waves. Chicago rallied Atlanta in the final four minutes of the second quarter that trimming the 11-point deficit to just one and canceling out the Hawks’ 6-point lead in a minute in the fourth quarter—the two stretches that decided the game. Seven players scored in double figures against Orlando. Against Detroit, the bench unit sparked the comeback that set the tone for the season.

This isn't a team built around one superstar. It's a roster filled with players who have something to prove—former starters looking to re-establish themselves, young players hungry for expanded roles, and veterans determined to prove age is just a number. That collective chip on their shoulders has created an unshakable belief that no deficit is too large, no rotation too deep, and no moment too big.

The Bulls' 3-0 start may be a fluke, but the way they've achieved it—through sacrifice, team depth, and genuine care for one another—suggests something deeper is taking root. Strength in numbers isn't just a catchphrase. It's become a part of the Bulls’ identity.

'Strength in Numbers': Bulls Starts Season 3-0 Behind Camaraderie