It's no secret that the future of the Chicago Bulls is in the hands of Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis. If that young pair will take a step forward this season, veteran forward Jalen Smith could play an unexpectedly important role.
Smith won't be regular starter. He won't be among the team's leaders in most counting stats. He won't make many splash plays. He probably won't drop 40 points on a random January night and carry the Bulls to a win.
But he has a relatively unique skill set that will compliment Wilson and Buzelis and allow them to grow — which should be the organization's No. 1 focus.
Jalen Smith could play a key role for the Bulls' young stars this season
Wilson and Buzelis are the franchise pillars. They're 19 and 21, respectively, with sky-high ceilings. They're capable of dragging the Bulls back to contention. But they need time and the right players around them — Smith is one of those players.
Despite having yet to play an NBA game, Wilson is already one of the league's elite athletes. He can explode vertically, run the floor like a half-cheetah, half-gazelle and has shown early signs of a 3-point stroke.
But as a rookie, he'll be at his best bursting past bigger defenders and overpowering smaller ones.
Buzelis is two years older but still miles away from being a finished product. He's improved as a creator and a shooter and has added strength this offseason, which should help him as an on-ball defender and as a rebounder.
But, like Wilson, he'll get by more on his natural talent and athleticism than his skill level — again, for now.
Smith, the No. 10 pick in the 2020 draft, won't ever hit on that star potential but has settled into a career as a role player who can space the floor and guard multiple positions. That's a valuable archetype.
The 26-year-old's ability to act as a small-ball five should allow Wilson and Buzelis do what they do best right now — attack, exploit mismatches, finish at the rim and crash the offensive glass. With his bouncy athleticism and 7-foot-2 wingspan, Smith can defend both forward positions and hold his own against some centers.
Buzelis and Wilson will eventually develop into jumbo wings rather than true power forwards. A player like Smith is ideally suited to let them become exactly that.
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