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Predicting Billy Donovan’s starting 5, Bulls’ rotation originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
Name the Chicago Bulls starting five. It’s not as easy as you might think.
A logical attempt of Josh Giddey, Coby White, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams and Nikola Vučević may be too defensively challenged for coach Billy Donovan’s preference. It also begs the question whether it leans fully enough into the youth movement that management is undertaking. But it’s still a safe bet.
Name the Bulls’ nine- or 10-player rotation. It’s not as easy as you might think.
Ayo Dosunnu and Jalen Smith would seem to be the only locks. Lonzo Ball’s almost unprecedented comeback attempt from a cartilage transplant, three left knee surgeries and over 2 ½ years away from NBA action still faces the arduous task of training camp.
And who knows if the competitive edge and physical style that Matas Buzelis flashed at NBA Summer League will translate to the regular season. Donovan hasn’t been the type of coach to dole out entitlement minutes.
So it’s a legitimately intriguing exercise. And as players start to trickle into the Advocate Center over the coming weeks in advance of next month’s training camp, here’s one guess at it:
The case for Giddey, White, LaVine, Williams, Vučević
This represents the most logical possibility.
Giddey is the shiny new toy, acquired in the Alex Caruso trade, and coming off a role for Australia at the Paris Olympics that he’ll likely replicate with the Bulls—ball dominant playmaker.
White is attacking the offseason lab again, not content to rest on his laurels as a runner-up finisher for the NBA’s Most Improved Player. White proved the ability to be a lead guard last season. But with Giddey’s arrival, he can play on or off the ball, more fully underscoring his strengths.
With DeMar DeRozan signed-and-traded to Sacramento, his understudy in Williams will be asked to produce at a higher rate in a larger role. Starting as the primary defender in this lineup is essential.
As for the holders, LaVine’s tenuous future is where some uncertainty…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/predicting-billy-donovans-starting-5-145352114.html
Author : NBC Sports Chicago
Publish date : 2024-09-04 14:53:52
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