Rotation Battle Is Getting REAL + Could Isaac Okoro Be MORE Important Than Another Scorer

The Chicago Bulls suddenly have a different development problem: there are more young players worth evaluating than there are meaningful minutes to go around.

On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down what Tiago Splitter’s preseason rotations may be telling us about Dailyn Swain, Leonard Miller, Noa Essengue, Patrick Williams, Tobe Awaka, Jordan Hawkins and Jaylin Sellers.

Against Memphis, Buddy Hield and Leonard Miller were Chicago’s first substitutes, while Patrick Williams entered 11th despite several rotation players being unavailable. Dailyn Swain has also handled reserve playmaking duties with Tre Jones and Jaylin Sellers sidelined. These choices give us clues about how Splitter is distributing opportunities, but they are not yet proof of Chicago’s final regular-season rotation. Pasted text

That raises a bigger question:

Should development minutes look the same for everybody?

Caleb Wilson needs reps carrying responsibility.

Matas Buzelis needs opportunities to create, defend difficult assignments and play through mistakes.

Swain needs decisions with and without the ball.

Miller needs to prove his production fits a repeatable NBA role.

Essengue may need consistent reps more than occasional short appearances.

Patrick Williams needs to establish one dependable contribution Chicago can trust every night. Pasted text

Then we turn to the Bulls offense.