Chicago Bulls: Predicting starting five pre-Training Camp

Chicago Bulls (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
Chicago Bulls (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Power Forward

2018-19 Starter: Lauri Markkanen

Projected 2019-20 Starter: Lauri Markkanen

The two spots where the Chicago Bulls need their biggest players to come through the most are at shooting guard and power forward. LaVine was the leading scorer and most consistent player for the Bulls last season, at least among those usually in the starting five.

But the player with the most potential to become a star right away this season is the third-year power forward and seven-footer Lauri Markkanen. A player that posted just shy of three win shares and a 17.1 player efficiency rating makes for a lot of promise since he’s just 22-years-old.

There isn’t much hope for the Bulls to find a solution long-term at the four behind Markkanen, so his development is vital this season. The third season in the NBA is the time that Markkanen has to start breaking through. Last season, he posted 18.7 points per game, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.

Start distributing the ball around more and cut down on the amount of poor shots that Markkanen takes on a nightly basis and he’ll find much more success on the court and on the stat sheet. There were too many nights that saw Markkanen shoot around 20 or 25 percent from three-point range on a double-digit number of attempts.