5. Chance for others to stick out
In all likelihood, Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen will be forced to turn to a smaller lineup and rotation in general since he’s missing so many frontcourt players. Carter Jr. and Markkanen are staples for the future of the Bulls frontcourt and both look to be out for the remainder of the regular season.
Hopefully, Lopez can continue to standout down low like he has of late. His showing in the losses to the Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers on the road on March 26 and 27 weren’t too encouraging, though. Lopez is going to be one of the most important parts of the lineup down the stretch.
Nonetheless it appears that Lopez will be well worth re-signing for the Bulls front office since frontcourt depth is a huge issue at the moment. Lopez could be starting in the frontcourt alongside someone like traditional wings/shooting guards Wayne Selden and/or Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
It’s hard to imagine that the Bulls frontcourt fell far enough to consider a starting lineup like that, but that is the point we’re at right now. Losing out on Markkanen and Carter Jr. will also put quite a bit of pressure on the shoulders of Lopez. But, this also offers the opportunity for some new faces to step up and prove themselves in the core part of the rotation.