Chicago Bulls: Projecting the regular season 15-man rotation

Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls
Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Projecting Chicago Bulls rotation for regular season

Starting Small Forward: Patrick Williams

If Donovan does in fact decide to start the rookie 19-year-old 6-foot-8 and 225 pound Charlotte, NC, native forward Williams at the three, then it should go a long way to boosting his confidence. The Bulls front office and coaching staff already displayed a lot of confidence by picking the Florida State product fourth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.

When there were players like the former Iowa State Cyclones point guard Tyrese Haliburton, Maccabi Tel Aviv wing Deni Avdija, Auburn Tigers small forward Isaac Okoro, etc. left on the draft board at four, the Bulls took a risk and picked Williams. But so far, it looks like that gamble from newly hired executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas could pay off.

Showing solid one-on-one wing defending ability, and efficient shot selection during the preseason, Williams could be a really nice fit alongside the rest of this young core in the starting five. Since he did get two starts in the preseason, and showed out in the process, there is a bit more credibility to the choice of starting him in the regular season opener on Dec. 23 against star point guard Trae Young and the Hawks.

The good news for Donovan, if he does start Williams at the three early in this regular season, is that he has a very nice insurance policy coming off the bench on the wing with OPJ. Both Williams and OPJ are likely to get at least 24-26 minutes on the floor per game if they both remain healthy throughout this 2020-21 campaign.