Chicago Bulls Get Past Toronto Raptors, Make 3 Roster Cuts

With the regular season less than a week away, the Chicago Bulls made their final roster cuts on Thursday, dropping Roger Powell, Kyle Weaver and John Lucas III.

The Bulls roster currently stands at thirteen, and they have historically kept roster spots open for future signings and/or trades.

Heading into the regular season, the Bulls will hold two point guards, three shooting guards, two small forwards, three power forwards and three centers.

The depth and balance throughout the roster bodes well, as the Bulls will be playing without star forward Carlos Boozer for the first month plus of the season.

The final preseason game for the Bulls will be on Friday against the Indiana Pacers, and then they get four days off before squaring off with the Western Conference powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder.

Playing without Joakim Noah and Kyle Korver, the Bulls got past the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday thanks to a near triple-double by Derrick Rose, who ended up with 20 points, nine assists, eight assists, two blocks, one steal, and 7-19 shooting from the floor. Rose also led the Bulls with 32 minutes played on Wednesday night.

Luol Deng, who has been consistent throughout the preseason, had 20 points along with six rebounds. Deng was on the attack all game and had some nice drives to basket, as he made 7-10 free throws.

Led by Brian Scalabrine and James Johnson, who scored 14 points each, the bench provided a spark for the Bulls when they were getting outworked by the Raptors. The Bulls bench as a whole provided 55 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals.

Performances like that will help alleviate the loss of Boozer and should provide the Bulls with one of the best benches in the NBA when Boozer comes back from his broken hand.

The Bulls still have to patch up a few things, but all signs are pointing up for the Bulls heading into the 2010-11 NBA season.

The preseason finale for the Chicago Bulls will be a home date versus the Indiana Pacers at the United Center on Friday at 7:00pm CST.