Tobe Awaka SHOCKS Bulls Fans! Dailyn Swain BREAKS OUT + Tiago’s Defense Raises QUESTIONS 👀

The Chicago Bulls got their first preseason win, but the biggest stories may have come from two young players almost nobody expected to steal the show. 👀🐂

On today’s episode of Locked On Bulls, Haize and Pat The Designer break down Tobe Awaka’s breakout preseason performance, after the undrafted rookie put up 14 points, 11 rebounds, six offensive boards, one steal and one block in just 21 minutes. Awaka even led Chicago in rebounding despite playing fewer minutes than several of the Bulls’ bigger-name young players.

That raises a real rotation question: did Awaka just force Tiago Splitter to take him seriously?

His rebounding and physicality already look like NBA-level skills, but six fouls in roughly 21 minutes also showed the challenge ahead. Can Awaka clean up the foul trouble enough to become a real rotation center, even after Nic Claxton and Zach Collins return?

Haize and Pat also dive into Dailyn Swain’s most encouraging performance yet. Swain finished with 10 points, six assists, two steals and perfect 3-for-3 shooting, while also going 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.
The bigger story may be the six assists.

Could Chicago be developing Swain as more than a traditional wing? His size, defensive versatility and passing could open the door for a role as a 6-foot-7 secondary ball-handler, especially if he can organize offense without needing to become an elite shooter immediately.

Plus, the guys take a deeper look at Tiago Splitter’s defense after Chicago forced 26 Phoenix turnovers, recorded 13 steals and five blocks, yet still surrendered 117 points and 40 in the first quarter.

Is Splitter’s aggressive defensive philosophy already working, or are the Bulls simply creating chaos without consistently preventing good shots?
And there is another concern worth watching: Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson combined to go 0-for-10 from three, even though the rest of Chicago’s roster shot 12-for-23 from deep.

Topics Include:
- Tobe Awaka’s 14-point, 11-rebound breakout
- Could Awaka earn real Bulls rotation minutes?
- Awaka vs. Noa Essengue as developmental bigs
- Dailyn Swain’s six-assist performance
- Could Swain become a big secondary point guard?
- Tiago Splitter’s aggressive defensive system
- Bulls forcing 26 turnovers
- Why Chicago still gave up 117 points
- Nic Claxton’s importance to the defense
- Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson’s shooting struggles
- What Bulls fans should watch next in preseason

The Bulls won the game, but the most important takeaways were bigger than the score. Awaka may have discovered a real NBA role, Swain may have shown a new dimension to his game, and Tiago’s system already looks capable of creating both excitement and chaos.

🎙️ Tune in to Locked On Bulls as Haize and Pat break down Tobe Awaka’s surprise breakout, Dailyn Swain’s development, and what Chicago’s first preseason game revealed about Tiago Splitter’s new-look Bulls.

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