The Chicago Bulls are far too close to a postseason spot on Dec. 12. In fact, they're in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings, which would put them in the Play-In Tournament (again) and in danger of losing their first-round pick.
They also have a roster that's getting healthier and a group of young players who are steadily improving.
It's time to make a change. But due to circumstances mostly out of their control, the Bulls may have to settle for making that change on the court rather than off it.
Zach LaVine is healthy, productive and untradeable. Nikola Vucevic is healthy, productive and won't be worth much if and when he's dealt before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Lonzo Ball's minutes are ramping up and he's been a steadying presence when he's on the floor.
Meanwhile, Matas Buzelis, who couldn't get off the bench early in the year, has forced his way into head coach Billy Donovan's rotation.
With Patrick Williams now set to return, Donovan has even more talent and experience on a roster that needs to start losing some games.
That makes now the perfect time to throw a bunch of junk at the wall and see what sticks and what doesn't.
Patrick Williams return can unlock some unique lineups for the Bulls
Williams has missed Chicago's last 10 games with a foot injury but is expected to return soon after going full-speed in practice earlier this week. His missed time has coincided with Buzelis' rise from a minuscule rotation player to someone Donovan can't keep off the floor at times.
Williams and Buzelis play the same position, which opens up an argument for who should start and who should come off the bench, but maybe that's missing the point. Maybe they should both be on the floor at the same time.
Buzelis is a taller, more skilled offensive player. Williams is a stronger defender and a better 3-point shooter. Both are quick, explosive and athletic. That makes it a fun exercise to decide which players should share the floor with the pair.
Vucevic would add an established interior presence, rebounder and floor spacer if Donovan wants to play big, as Williams and Buzelis are interchangeable between the wing and forward spots.
Certain small-ball lineups with Williams and Buzelis manning the frontcourt sans Vooch hold intrigue for different reasons.
Ball could settle the young pair down and manage the offense while acting as a point-of-attack defender and spot-up shooter. LaVine could do what he does best and cook as the main scorer on the floor. Coby White could do a little bit of both, depending on the situation.
It could even unlock a version of Josh Giddey who's only responsibilites would be to rebound and facilitate in transition.
And what do most of Chicago's guards have in common? They're long - all 6-foot-6 or taller - and above-average rebounders for their position. That makes the Buzelis-Williams duo less of a liability on the glass.
The Bulls have fully embraced the pace-and-space game this season. They lead the NBA in pace, are second in 3-point attempts and fifth in 3-point percentage.
Williams, for all his warts, has become a legitimate shooter from beyond the arc. Through 140 games over the last three seasons, the 23-year-old has shot 40.7 percent from three on 3.5 attempts per game. That's too big a sample size to be considered a fluke.
Buzelis started the season slow but has hit 39.6 percent of his threes since the beginning of November, bringing his season average up to 36.2 percent.
Both forwards are fast enough, athletic enough and explosive enough to be terrors in transition. They fit both the "pace" and "space" Donovan has employed.
How often he goes to this well remains to be seen, but Williams' return unlocks several new ways Donovan can attack defenses. (Chicago will be putrid defensively anyway, and no lineup will fix that).
It's time to experiment and have fun with a bunch of new groupings. And hey, it may even lead to more losses---the exciting 145-135 high-scoring ones especially.