The Bulls are in experiment mode this season, but not every test has to happen at once.
That’s the bigger question around first-round pick Dailyn Swain, whose role in Chicago has already started to tilt toward the ball-handling side of the spectrum. Tiago Splitter appears to have a wide runway to sort through what this roster can actually become, from Patrick Williams’ defensive ceiling to Josh Giddey’s place if Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis soak up more frontcourt touches. In a rebuild, that kind of exploration makes sense.
Swain may be the exception for now.
After a shaky showing Wednesday night against the Phoenix Suns, the rookie looked like a player being asked to do too much too soon. Long term, the Bulls may eventually want him handling more creation duties. Right now, though, the more urgent need is simpler: let him settle in, build confidence, and get comfortable on an NBA floor.
This is hardly a new trap for young players. Teams want to uncover lead guards and future offensive engines, so they hand responsibilities to prospects before those players are ready for them. The source material points to the Dallas Mavericks doing something similar with Cooper Flagg last year, and the early returns were rough as he tried to adjust with the defense focused on him every time down.
Swain’s situation is different, but the concern is even clearer because of where he is in his development. His Summer League was rough - he hit just 12.9% of his shots across four games - and that kind of start can leave a rookie searching for answers before the real games even begin.
The shooting profile adds another layer. At Texas, Swain already looked like a player still finding his range, averaging just 2.6 three-point attempts in his final season while making 34.4% of them.
That’s not the profile of someone who should be forced into a heavy on-ball load before he’s ready. If Chicago ultimately sees him as more than a 3-and-D type, fine.
But that vision should come later, not now.
Against Phoenix, the Suns made life difficult whenever Swain had to initiate. Their guard defenders pressured him hard, blitzed him, and forced him into overthinking and over-dribbling. Even so, there were some signs of progress: he finished with six assists, three turnovers, and made all three of his field-goal attempts.
That’s a better line than what he showed in Summer League, and it matters. But the clearest path for Swain at this stage is still the one where he cuts, moves without the ball, and works the perimeter from a secondary role. If the Bulls want him to become a rotation player, the first step is getting his jumper and his confidence in order.
It’s preseason, so none of this has to be rushed. For Swain, the smart move may be to let the on-ball experiment wait and use this stretch simply to find his footing. If the struggles continue, Chicago can revisit that part of his game later.
In Other News...
Bulls Already Have A Rotation Debate Fans Will Want To Watch
The first preseason look offered the Bulls a little of everything in a 124-117 win over Phoenix, and it also offered the kind of early rotation conversation teams usually prefer to avoid this soon. Caleb Wilson came out aggressively and finished with 15 points, Matas Buzelis kept attacking the rim even while the outside shot wasnt falling, and Tobe Awaka made his case off the bench with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Dailyn Swain added 10 points and six assists, while Norman Powell showed immediate value with his three-point shooting.
For Chicago, the bigger takeaway is less about the final score than about how several newcomers and young pieces fit into the same mix. A single preseason game is hardly a verdict, but it did give the Bulls a first glimpse at players who can push for minutes in different ways, whether through energy, rim pressure, playmaking or spacing. The challenge now is figuring out which of those performances were one-night flashes and which ones can actually shape the nightly rotation once the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Rotation Questions Are Already Mounting After Preseason Opener
Caleb Wilsons preseason debut gave the Bulls a first look at just how fluid the early rotation could be, even with a team-high 15 points. His scoring stood out, but the rest of his night was uneven, and the same was true in different ways for the backcourt and frontcourt pieces trying to take advantage of extra minutes. With Tyus Jones sidelined by a hip injury, rookie Dailyn Swain handled more of the ball and finished with 10 points and six assists, a sign the Bulls may need to lean on him sooner than expected.
The bigger wrinkle came inside, where injuries to Nic Claxton and Zach Collins pushed Jalen Smith into the starting center spot and opened the door for two-way rookie Tobe Awaka. Awaka made the most of it with 14 points and 11 rebounds, giving Chicago a useful answer in the moment while also adding another name to a rotation picture that already looks unsettled after one preseason game. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Preseason Opener Put Early Wing Rotation Pressure In Focus
The Bulls preseason opener offered an early look at how the wing minutes might be sorted once the games start counting. Chicago leaned on its young forwards in the win over Phoenix, with Matas Buzelis and rookie Caleb Wilson both getting on the scoreboard, while the rest of the rotation was still being sorted out as the coaching staff continued to evaluate fit and usage.
Patrick Williams and Noa Essengue did not enter until midway through the third quarter, a timing note that says plenty about how little is settled on the depth chart just yet. For a team trying to build a workable wing rotation, those late first appearances matter, especially when preseason is as much about opportunity as it is about the final score. [Read more 🡒]