The Bulls are still trying to sort out the basics, and the biggest issue is right in front of them: the starting five isn’t working.
Through Friday, that group had played 92 minutes and been outscored by 20.3 points per 100 possessions, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic in a reader mailbag. It was also the NBA’s fourth-most used lineup, which makes the numbers harder to ignore. That’s a lot of run for a unit that hasn’t found a rhythm.
The problem, as Lorenzi laid it out, is that the pieces are all asking for different things on offense under first-year coach Tiago Splitter. Josh Giddey wants to play fast.
Matas Buzelis is looking for more chances to create. Norman Powell is leaning into more pull-up jumpers and getting fewer looks at the rim.
Caleb Wilson has become part of that adjustment too, and not in a smooth way. Lorenzi reported that Splitter said Wilson’s benching against the Knicks on Wednesday came down to his performance, shot selection and body language.
There is at least one help-on-the-way piece. Nic Claxton is expected back this weekend, and Lorenzi noted that he brings the rim protection, screening and rolling the Bulls have been missing. Splitter also wants to give him some chances to initiate offense and see what happens if he shares the floor with Jalen Smith.
Those are useful wrinkles, but Claxton isn’t being asked to solve everything. Straightening out the entire offense would be too much to put on one player.
There’s also a more encouraging note deeper in the roster. Lorenzi reported that some inside the organization think Noa Essengue could grow into one of the NBA’s better defenders. Splitter called him the team’s best “slider,” a reference to how well he stays with ballhandlers.
Essengue still has fouling issues, and the physical side of his development remains a work in progress. Even so, the Bulls have enough reason to keep giving him minutes and patience.
That’s the task for this season: identify who’s worth building around, give those players clear jobs and see who actually takes a step. Essengue is giving them something to work with. Getting the starters to help each other is still the bigger problem.
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Nic Claxtons return should help shore up some of the issues that have dragged Chicago down, but the larger question is harder to escape. Even with a healthier lineup, the Bulls still have to prove they can defend well enough to stay competitive and generate enough consistent scoring to matter in the East. For now, the bigger debate is not just about fixing a rough start, but about what kind of ceiling this roster really has and whether the front office is looking at a team built for more than this season. [Read more 🡒]