Bulls' Jalen Smith: Instant offense off bench Monday
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Smith ended Monday's 112-91 loss to Milwaukee with 14 points (6-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds and two assists over 17 minutes.
Smith provided some instant offense off the bench for the Bulls, supplying an efficient 14 points to go with seven boards Monday. Across his last seven contests, Smith is averaging a fairly efficient 8.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 three-pointers in 18.6 minutes. The 24-year-old big man has proven to be a strong producer on a per-minute basis over the first five years of his career, so he'd be an appealing add in fantasy leagues if starting center Nikola Vucevic ever were to miss time with an injury.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Retreating to bench Monday
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Smith is not in Chicago's starting lineup against Toronto on Monday, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Smith made his first start of the 2024-25 regular season Friday against the Hornets due to Nikola Vucevic being sidelined with an illness. Smith made the most of his spot start by playing a season-high 29 minutes and finishing with 11 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and five blocks, but he'll return to the bench for Monday's contest due to Vucevic no longer dealing with his illness.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Double-doubles in spot start
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Smith notched 11 points (3-10 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists and five blocks across 29 minutes during Friday's 109-95 win over the Hornets.
Smith got his first start of the season after Nikola Vucevic was ruled out due to an illness, notching his first double-double of the campaign. He added a season-high five blocks for good measure, reminding everyone just what he can do when afforded starter-level minutes. Although he could shift back to a bench role as soon as the next game, Smith is someone who could move into a larger role at some point should the Bulls opt to move Vucevic prior to the trade deadline.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Starting Friday
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Smith will get the start at center in Friday's matchup with the Hornets, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Smith will replace Nikola Vucevic (illness) in the starting lineup. Chicago will go small with Smith at center alongside Josh Giddey, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Zach LaVine. It will be the first start of the season for Smith.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Underwhelming role continues
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Smith finished Friday's 132-123 loss to the Pacers with 10 points (3-6 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds and one block across 18 minutes.
Smith continues to play limited minutes behind Nikola Vucevic, having logged fewer than 19 minutes in all of his 21 appearances thus far. He is currently averaging 7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 three-pointers in 14.5 minutes per game, and his opportunities have been hampered by the fact that Nikola Vucevic has started the season on fire. Should the Bulls at any point decide to throw in the towel, there is a chance Smith could step into a more sizeable role. Until then, he will continue to soak up the majority of the backup center minutes.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Will play Friday
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Smith (ankle) is active for Friday's game against the Celtics, Will Gottlieb of AllCHGO.com reports.
Smith participated in Friday's shootaround, and he should see a steady dose of minutes off the bench as the primary backup to Nikola Vucevic at center. Smith is averaging 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game in 13 contests since the beginning of November.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Participates in shootaround
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Smith (ankle), who is listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Celtics, participated in the club's morning shootaround, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Smith was sidelined during Wednesday's loss to the Magic, though his participation in shootaround bodes well for a potential return to game action. If the big man is unable to suit up again due to the left ankle sprain, the club could take an extended look at Adama Sanogo and E.J. Liddell off the bench.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Iffy vs. Boston
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Smith (ankle) is questionable for Friday's game against the Celtics.
Smith missed Wednesday's game against the Magic, and it's unclear if he'll recover in time to return against the reigning NBA champions. If he's unable to return for Friday's contest, Adama Sanogo could be in line to see minutes off the bench.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Season-best effort on glass
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Smith logged 12 points (5-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-3 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and one block across 18 minutes off the bench during Tuesday's 127-108 win over the Wizards.
The nine boards were a season high for Smith. The fifth-year center hasn't seen his court time increase while Patrick Williams (foot) has been sidelined, but Smith has been more productive -- over the last three games he's scored in double digits twice while averaging 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 threes and 1.3 blocks in only 16.0 minutes a contest.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Available for Saturday
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Smith (ankle) is available for Saturday's game against the Grizzlies.
Smith was deemed questionable for this matchup earlier Saturday, but he'll suit up and will be available off the bench. Smith is averaging 14.6 minutes off the bench per game in November, so his availability isn't expected to affect many fantasy lineups.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Deemed questionable
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Smith is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Grizzlies due to a sprained left ankle.
Smith played 15 minutes in Friday's victory over Atlanta, but it appears he picked up an injury during the contest. If he can't play, E.J. Liddell and Torrey Craig could see more action.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Swats three shots
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Smith notched five points (2-7 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds and three blocks over 15 minutes during Sunday's 143-107 loss to the Rockets.
Despite a limited workload, Smith recorded a season-high three blocks in the blowout loss. After a strong start to the campaign, Smith has faded in November, posting averages of 5.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 14.9 minutes.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Fails to score in victory
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Smith recorded zero points (0-2 FG, 0-2 3Pt), four rebounds and one assist in 14 minutes during Wednesday's 124-123 win over the Knicks.
After recording double-digit points in three of his first four outings this season, Smith has done so just one time since. While the 24-year-old big man is converting 38.9 percent of his 3.6 three-point attempts per contest, he is also shooting just 44.4 percent from the field overall.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Active Wednesday
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Smith (illness) will play Wednesday versus New York, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Smith joins a fully healthy Chicago frontcourt Wednesday after a one-game absence. The 24-year-old is averaging 7.3 points and 4.8 rebounds while knocking down 29.4 percent of 4.3 threes per game in his last four contests.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Will play Saturday
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Smith (knee) is available for Saturday's game against Atlanta.
Smith has been dealing with a left knee injury since late October, but he will continue to play through the issue. Over his last four outings, Smith has averaged 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds over 15.3 minutes per game while coming off the bench.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Likely to suit up Saturday
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Smith (knee) is probable for Saturday's matchup versus the Hawks.
Smith has been a mainstay on the injury report due to a left knee effusion, though he will likely suit up for the fifth game in a row Saturday. The 24-year-old center has appeared in each of the Bulls' last four regular-season games, during which he averaged 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds across 15.3 minutes per game.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Available to play Thursday
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Smith (knee) is available for Thursday's game against Minnesota.
As has been the trend of late, Smith continues to deal with a left knee effusion but will suit up and should see minutes off the bench. He will operate as the backup center to Nikola Vucevic.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Expected to play against Minnesota
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Smith (knee) is listed as probable for Thursday's game versus the Timberwolves.
Smith continues to receive probable tags while dealing with a left knee effusion but has suited up in each of Chicago's last three contests. If Smith is upgraded to available, he should continue to operate as the backup center to Nikola Vucevic.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Will play Wednesday
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Smith (knee) is available for Wednesday's game against the Mavericks.
Smith continues to deal with a left knee effusion, but as of now, the injury hasn't forced him to miss time outside of the one game he was sidelined for against the Magic on Oct. 30. Smith is averaging 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game off the bench this season.
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Bulls' Jalen Smith: Likely to play against Dallas
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Smith (knee) is listed as probable for Wednesday's game versus the Mavericks, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
Smith continues to deal with a left knee effusion but is expected to suit up for his third straight contest. If he's upgraded to available, Smith should operate as a primary bench option in Chicago's frontcourt.
