After the New York Knicks made some huge moves in the off-season, the landscape of their team has shifted dramatically. They brought Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges to help push for a deeper run. However, these moves haven’t yet paid off as expected, with the team sitting at a .500 record (5-5). It’s still early, though, and the Knicks are integrating both players into the lineup while continuing to run the offense through Jalen Brunson. There’s plenty of time for things to click, but for now, they’ve underperformed.

The Chicago Bulls find themselves stuck in neutral, sitting 9th in the East. For 2 straight seasons, they’ve been eliminated in the play-in round. This year, they hoped their offseason roster changes would bring better results, but it’s still unclear. On Monday, the Bulls fell 119-113 to the unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers at home. After a strong first half with 66 points, the Bulls struggled in the second, managing just 47. Zach LaVine led the way with 26 points, while Coby White and Nikola Vucevic each chipped in 20.

They’ve managed to keep games close against top teams, which might not show in the win column but is still notable. The Knicks, on the other hand, have been excellent from three-point range, ranking third in shooting percentage and averaging nearly 14 made threes per game. Still, the Bulls defend the three well, allowing opponents to shoot just 32.5% from deep, despite being ranked 27th overall.

Knicks’ injury status after the Sixers game- Jalen Brunson OUT?

Jalen Brunson’s health is crucial to the Knicks’ success this season. His brief exit after tweaking his ankle raised concerns, but he quickly returned to play, showing his commitment. If the Knicks were to lose him for any length of time, it could hurt their chances against tough Eastern Conference opponents. Keeping him healthy and playing at a high level will be key to New York’s playoff hopes.

He is currently listed as questionable and day-to-day. Cameron Payne (hamstring) was set to play on Tuesday against the 76ers, and he did play for 9 minutes. But his hamstring is giving him trouble again. His status was changed to questionable. Mitchell Robinson’s return would be a major boost for them, but he’s out till at least January while recovering from an ankle injury, so he’s out as well.

Precious Achiuwa is still waiting to make his season debut after a left hamstring strain. The 25-year-old big man’s next step is getting cleared for practice. He is out for this matchup. Until then, Jericho Sims will continue filling in as the backup center behind Towns.

Can Chicago stun NY?

Zach LaVine is listed as probable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Knicks because of a right adductor strain. After missing 3 games, he’s set to play for the third consecutive time. In his last two outings, LaVine has averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds, while playing 34.0 minutes per game.

Adama Sanogo is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Knicks because of a right knee effusion. He played just 4 minutes in Monday’s loss to Cleveland, his second appearance this season. His absence likely won’t affect Chicago’s rotation much.

Further, after this hoopster injured his wrist in his 3rd game of the season, he’s been out ever since. Yes, I’m talking about Lonzo Ball. There’s no update on his return timeline. Jalen Smith is listed as questionable because of illness. The backup big man may miss his 2nd straight game. He’s had a solid start to his first season with Chicago, averaging 8.9 points and 5.2 rebounds in 14.8 minutes pg.

The Bulls may have a losing record, but the team is playing better basketball than their records reflect. They’ve been competitive against strong teams. When it comes to pace, the Bulls definitely have the upper hand. While New York prefers to slow things down and run a half-court offense, Chicago thrives on speed, looking to shoot quickly and take more shots. This up-tempo play could trouble the Knicks, especially since they often leave shooters open. With New York’s starters logging heavy minutes, the Bulls’ faster pace should work to their advantage on Wednesday. Predictions?