Chicago Bulls: 3 players that should be starting down the stretch

1) Players who should be in Chicago Bulls starting 5

Thaddeus Young, Forward

About the most valuable player coming off the Bulls bench this season is veteran 32-year-old forward Thaddeus Young. Donovan has a consistent sixth man that he can rely upon in Young to get it done when it matters at key points in game. But it may only be a matter of time before Donovan wants to put Young in the starting five down the stretch this season.

Young has nearly doubled his previous career best in assists this season, and he’s a consistent solid facilitator and shot creator for the second unit. He does get a lot of key minutes already in the latter minutes of games with the starting unit too. It would not be a huge shift for him to get roughly a similar number of minutes if he were to now be inserted into the starting five.

Donovan might give a look to a starting unit in the near future that consists of Sato, star shooting guard Zach LaVine, either Williams or OPJ on the wing, Young at the four, and then Markkanen at the five. It’s just not getting it done either this season with third-year center Wendell Carter Jr. getting starting minutes at the five. The Bulls didn’t get much out of WCJ in the last two losses.

If Markkanen is ready to take on a role that places him as the starter at the five, then there’s a trio of Bulls players that could all start at the four. Young has played most of his minutes this season as is at the four. The transition for his role to the starting five wouldn’t be a huge leap for this team, or for Young individually.