Chicago Bulls projected starting 5: Derrick Jones Jr., Small Forward
This is the spot that is in question for Donovan and the Bulls heading into the preseason. There’s a number of ways that Donovan and his staff could go at the three with Williams likely out for the entirety of the preseason slate. And with Williams likely to start at the four for the Bulls anyway, it’s hard to tell what type of impact his absence will have on the wing rotation in the coming weeks.
Any type of shuffling at the three means that DeRozan, Brown, and the newly acquired small forward Derrick Jones Jr. could see more movement in the position they play during the preseason. DeRozan could slot at the three or the four. That doesn’t really matter too much before the regular season begins.
But who starts at the other forward spot, likely between Jones and Brown, could be interesting to see. The reason why I went with Jones here is the fact that he has more proven two-way production. The Bulls were interested in landing Jones before the sign-and-trade went down with the Cavs and Portland Trail Blazers that sent power forward Lauri Markkanen to Cleveland.
Jones is one of the best defenders for the Bulls this season. And he has the ability to score from a few different places inside the arc. If Jones can somehow start shooting three-pointers at any sort of effective rate this season, then his value will skyrocket for the Bulls.
But for now, it makes sense to place someone with fills a known role, and can make up for the defensive loss with Williams out of the lineup, with Jones. He’s certainly a candidate to start during the preseason with White and Williams both out.