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The NBA preseason is finally here. After a long summer, the Chicago Bulls return to action on October 7, squaring off with last year\u2019s Eastern Conference leaders, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Yet ahead of the much-anticipated matchup, plenty of questions remain.<\/p>\n
Who\u2019s in and who\u2019s out? How will Chicago\u2019s newest addition, 18-year-old rookie Noa Essengue, look in his debut? And most importantly, which five will Billy Donovan send out to open the exhibition season?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s expected that Coby White won\u2019t suit up after suffering a calf strain in August. The injury reportedly isn\u2019t serious, but VP of Basketball Operations Art\u016bras Karni\u0161ovas said White will be limited throughout training camp as he works his way back. More telling, White was spotted in street clothes at practice over the weekend\u2014rebounding and passing to teammates instead of getting shots up.<\/p>\n
White\u2019s absence sets off a snowball effect. As the Bulls\u2019 starting shooting guard, his spot leaves a hole Donovan must fill. It\u2019s not so simple, though, especially with Chicago\u2019s starting small forward still undecided, leaving two key spots up for grabs.<\/p>\n
With Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Nikola Vucevic already locked in as starters, the battle for the final two spots comes down to Dalen Terry, Isaac Okoro, Kevin Huerter, Patrick Williams, and Tre Jones.<\/p>\n
Terry has reportedly been making waves as he enters the final season of his rookie contract. His frame, ball skills, and defense make him an enticing fit in Chicago\u2019s uptempo offense, though he\u2019s still less proven than the others. Williams is the opposite: long considered a tantalizing prospect, he\u2019s never fully put it all together after numerous stints as a starter.<\/p>\n
That leaves Okoro, Huerter, and Jones. Jones, however, as a natural floor general, fits better off the bench, leaving Okoro and Huerter as the realistic contenders. As a result, the likely starting five should be Giddey, Huerter, Okoro, Buzelis, and Vucevic.<\/p>\n
That five is Chicago\u2019s most complete unit, offering spot-up shooting and point-of-attack defense while complementing the core trio of Giddey, Buzelis, and Vucevic. Huerter and Giddey proved to be a terrific combination last season, while Okoro is essential for shoring up Chicago\u2019s perimeter defense.<\/p>\n
With Huerter and Okoro both bringing key skills, the bigger question is who will be the fifth starter once White is healthy. We won\u2019t know until the regular season begins, or whenever Donovan makes the call. The preseason, however, should help Chicago determine which player fits more seamlessly with the core.<\/p>\n
Is Huerter\u2019s shooting more valuable to stretch defenses and streamline Chicago\u2019s offense? Or is Okoro\u2019s rugged perimeter defense essential alongside Chicago\u2019s weaker defenders? That remains to be seen. For now, playing both players together is Donovan’s best bet at assessing the Bulls’ best lineup.<\/p>\n Kevin Huerter\u2019s shooting or Isaac Okoro\u2019s defense? The Bulls must decide which starter best complements their core as the preseason unfolds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":107918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-107910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n