The Chicago Bulls suffered a dismal loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on November 24, as New Orleans snapped its nine-game skid with a 143-point outburst. The Pelicans dominated inside, piling up 78 points in the paint and adding 30 more on second-chance opportunities against a helpless Chicago defense.

Reserve big man Yves Missi chipped in 14 points and a staggering 10 offensive rebounds, while Zion Williamson repeatedly sliced through the defense, shooting 8-of-14 on his way to 29 points. It was a defensive disaster class for the Bulls—but on the bright side, Chicago still put up 130 points without Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Huerter, two of its key offensive contributors.

Dosunmu earns his place as Chicago’s fifth starter

Sure, Chicago’s defense was pitiful, but Billy Donovan may have stumbled onto something with the lineup he rolled out. Patrick Williams clearly isn’t suited to starting, or to getting minutes at the five, and Vucevic will reclaim his spot in the middle once he’s healthy. The real takeaway is that Ayo Dosunmu has earned a place in the starting unit alongside Coby White and Josh Giddey.

Dosunmu notched a team-high 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three-point range. Alongside Jalen Smith, who has been sensational in a reserve role, Dosunmu was the only other Bull with a positive plus/minus.

Dosunmu has played tremendously well this season, yet he has primarily come off the bench, starting in only three games. In his role as sixth man, the 6-foot-5 guard has averaged 16.4 points while shooting 56.3 percent from the field and 47.5 percent from three—numbers no other player in the association is matching.

Dosunmu’s move into the starting lineup comes at the expense of Tre Jones. While Jones is averaging 12.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, the Bulls’ net rating drops whenever he shares the floor with the team’s four usual starters, excluding Coby White, who has played only four games this season.

Tre Jones’ role shifts as Bulls adjust their starters

This does come as a surprise, especially because Jones is such a team-first player who’s third on the team in assists, but also because the combination of him and Giddey was exceptional a season ago and much-needed to begin this season.

Currently, the Jones–Giddey pairing has a net rating of –7.5, the 10th-worst mark among 33 two-man lineups with over 100 minutes this season. Even worse, Jones and Isaac Okoro sit at an abysmal –21.4, while Jones and Vucevic are at –10.0.

It’s a perplexing development, given how important Jones was at the start of the season. With White back, however, Jones is no longer as critical. White has immediately resumed his alpha role and has excelled in it. With Giddey and White as the primary ball handlers, Jones is now best suited for a reserve role.

Chicago’s starting five must reflect its most effective players

There’s still the conundrum of who should fill the fifth spot if Dosunmu, Giddey, and White form a three-headed guard unit in the starting lineup. Vucevic’s size and rebounding are essential, but Donovan must choose between rising star Matas Buzelis and defensive specialist Isaac Okoro.

Of course, the decision isn’t difficult: Buzelis clearly has the edge as a 21-year-old, do-it-all forward. Donovan may keep the 6-foot-10 forward on a short leash, but Buzelis remains perhaps the Bulls’ most promising prospect. He’s averaging 13.8 points per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three, along with 1.4 blocks per contest.

Okoro’s defense is crucial for Chicago, and he might warrant starting over Dosunmu in specific situations. However, his offensive struggles make it difficult for Donovan to deploy him with the starting group. Like Jones, Okoro’s two-man net rating with the other starters is negative.

It didn’t take injuries to Jones, Huerter, and Okoro to reveal that Dosunmu is the ideal fit alongside Giddey and White. He’s been playing well all season, and four of the five Bulls’ best three-man units to log at least 50 minutes include him. The challenge now is that Chicago’s best defender, Okoro, and floor spacer, Huerter, are no longer ideal fits in the starting lineup—a development that wasn’t expected.