The Chicago Bulls turned a new leaf this summer. They have Bryson Graham as the new general manager and Tiago Splitter as their new head coach. With two picks in the top half of the NBA Draft, a ton of cap space, and flexibility, the Bulls had the chance to revamp their roster significantly. They may not have made the big splash some fans were hoping for, but the Bulls are more exciting than they have been in recent memory.
After a slew of offseason moves and new arrivals, who is actually on the roster? What are the strengths and weaknesses? What else do they need between now and the start of the season?
Bulls depth chart
PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Josh Giddey | Norman Powell | Matas Buzelis | Caleb Wilson | Nic Claxton |
Tre Jones | Isaac Okoro | Dailyn Swain | Patrick Williams | Jalen Smith |
Rob Dillingham | Leonard Miller | Noa Essengue | Zach Collins |
After the additions of Nic Claxton, Caleb Wilson, and Dailyn Swain, the Bulls had a clear hole at shooting guard. They wasted no time in free agency to sign veteran sharpshooter Norman Powell. This clarified the Giddey-Powell-Buzelis-Wilson-Claxton starting lineup for Chicago.
This is an intriguing starting five. There is a ton of size, length, and athleticism in the frontcourt. Giddey is a defensive liability, to be sure, but he has positional size. There is enough rim protection and help defense behind the Giddey-Powell backcourt that the Bulls can be respectable on that end of the floor.
The real intrigue will be in transition. The half-court offense will be a work in progress, but this is going to be one of the most exciting teams in the full court. Giddey is an excellent passer and playmaker in transition, and every other member of the starting five loves running the floor. There will be plenty of tempo and highlight plays from Chicago next season. Buzelis and Wilson should be regulars on the SportsCenter Top 10.
Compared to the end of last season, this is a much more balanced group. After the trade deadline, the Bulls had a very crowded guard rotation and not enough depth in the frontcourt.
This year, Tre Jones will be the first man off the bench, continuing to provide valuable backup point guard minutes. Isaac Okoro and Jalen Smith will also surely be in the rotation to start the season.
The rest of the rotation may be fluid.
Whether rookie wing Dailyn Swain, disappointing forward Patrick Williams, or Noa Essengue, coming off a shoulder surgery, will be a part of the rotation remains to be seen. One has to assume that at least one of them will be a regular rotation player to start the season, but perhaps this will depend on training camp and preseason performance.
Zach Collins will be the third-string center all season and will only play in case of an emergency. Leonard Miller and Rob Dillingham are also lower on the pecking order, but Dillingham at least has a chance to earn himself a role thanks to his profile as a recent eighth-overall pick.
This is a very young team, so there will be growing pains. This season is going to be more about the future than the present, and this roster should give plenty of hope to Bullls fans.
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