The Chicago Bulls return to regular-season action Wednesday night, hoping to make progress despite most prognosticators saying they won't contend in the East.
Last season was a mixed bag. Fans enjoyed the emergence of Josh Giddey, an impressive rookie debut from Matas Buzelis, and a strong finish to the season. However, it came to a disappointing end—just as it had the previous two seasons—with a play-in loss to the Miami Heat.
Many teams in the conference underwent major changes to try to climb the standings, but the Bulls largely stood pat. How will it all shake out? The answers to these questions could determine whether the Bulls cruise to a lottery pick or finally break through for a postseason bid.
Can Coby White keep the Bulls' offense afloat?
White will miss a handful of games to start the season due to a calf strain, but when he returns, they'll need him to step up as a primary shooter and scorer. Zach LaVine is gone. Nikola Vucevic hasn't averaged 20-plus points a game since the 2020-21 season, when he split time between Orlando and Chicago. There are role players who can help, but when it comes to scoring 25 points night in and night out, it looks like White needs to be the guy for the Bulls.
Fortunately for Bulls fans, White's shown he can do it. From the start of March through the end of last season, White averaged 26 points a game while shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc. He averaged a 3.2 plus/minus score over that stretch, too.
Can Ayo Dosunmu take advantage of every opportunity?
The Bulls have pared down their crowded backcourt a bit this year by trading away Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball, but still have many young guards on the roster fighting for minutes. One of those guards figures to be Ayo Dosunmu.
Dosunmu isn't listed on the Bulls' injury report for the Pistons game, despite a thumb injury he suffered in the preseason. He's one of the guys in line for more tick with White sidelined to start the year, and if he avails himself of the opportunity, he could be tasked with leading the second unit when White returns.
The 2021 second-round pick is set to become a free agent after this year, so his performance this year will determine his future in Chicago.
Can Noa Essengue contribute meaningful minutes this year?
Buzelis looked like the steal of the draft last year as he carved out a role and eventually cracked the starting lineup, following the LaVine trade. Expecting a similar season from Essengue is probably unfair, though.
Essengue, just 18 years old, is athletic and exciting, but he's still a raw talent. Essengue had an impressive preseason debut with eight points and five rebounds in 14 minutes, and continued performances like that could force Billy Donovan's hand to play him more. Essengue will likely need some refining before he takes the steps we saw from Buzelis last year.
If Essengue does contribute meaningful minutes, however, it will go a long way towards helping the Bulls compete for a playoff spot.