Let us see the babies. The Chicago Bulls have the beginnings of a young core after drafting Noa Essengue in the first round this offseason to pair with Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey, and they also acquired big man Lachlan Olbrich in the second round. The easiest way for the Bulls front office to win over fans early in 2025-26? By actually playing the young guys early in the year.
We know what to expect out of Kevin Hurter, Patrick Williams, Zach Collins, and the rest of the veterans on this roster. But the young guys provide this team something it hasn't had in many years; the unknown! A lineup with a bunch of guys who can't legally buy alcohol would probably not win the Bulls too many games, but I think it would still boost morale considerably in the fanbase, and bring back a feeling that the Bulls are building something.
I also don't have tons of confidence that's going to happen. As we've learned over the past many years, this franchise loves to put the best possible product it can on the court, no matter if that product is still painfully average. Going all-in on the young guys would be a full 180-degree turn, as I likely don't have to tell you.
Letting the young guys run the show would keep fans interested
Of course, there are still more veterans on this roster than there are youngsters with untapped upside, so of course Billy Donovan will have to play Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, and the rest of the familiar faces considerable minutes.
But there's a world of difference between giving young players some minutes when they fit in, and handing over the keys even with the knowledge that things will get a little ugly from time to time. If the Bulls have taught us anything, they'll likely do the former, when they really should consider the latter — if for nothing else, to keep the fans invested in something this year.
Noah Essengue, the team's lottery pick, is going to take a few years before he turns into a positive-impact player. I don't care. Play him 25 minutes a game! Put him next to Buzelis, Giddey, Okoro, and Ayo and let's just see what happens! Let him figure out what works and what doesn't early on. That's a more interesting storyline than the 34 games this team is destined to win otherwise, and that's how to keep fans bought in; by showing them what the future could look like.