Results don’t matter until the regular season, but the Chicago Bulls made it through the preseason with a few important victories: minimal injuries, a newfound positivity behind Zach LaVine and Coby White and a promising pair of appearances from Lonzo Ball.
What does it mean for the season ahead? That will be answered Wednesday, when the Bulls head to New Orleans for their opener against the Pelicans (7 p.m., CHSN).
Here are seven things we learned about the Bulls from the preseason.
1. Coby White is ready to repeat high-scoring season
After taking the largest leap of his professional career last season, White seems poised once again to bolster the offense as the second-highest scorer on the roster — this time behind Zach LaVine rather than DeMar DeRozan.
Although he was sometimes limited in minutes as a starter, White showcased the same ability to pull the trigger from 3-point range and carve his way to the basket. Moving off the ball due to the arrival of Josh Giddey and return of Ball has only opened up the floor further for White, allowing him to play off teammates and stretch the floor.
2. Zach LaVine has a new outlook
From his first interview at media day, LaVine set a tone as a levelheaded leader that carried over to the court. He has the green light to fire from behind the arc and has returned to his trademark bounciness around the rim, which opens up multiple levels of the offense.
LaVine will be the team’s leading scorer — perhaps by a wide margin. But what will that lead to? It has been almost a full year since LaVine first reportedly requested a trade out of Chicago. The guard was vocal this preseason about his buy-in with the Bulls, which has been reflected on the court.
But as the Bulls attempt to navigate a rebuild and refocus around young talent, it’s not guaranteed how much longer that balance will hold.
3. Lonzo Ball is on track for a (minimal) role
Ball entered the preseason patiently emphasizing that he didn’t expect to be the same player he was before his 33-month hiatus due to a left knee injury. But in his two preseason games, Ball certainly looked like the same game-changing point guard. Over two outings, he scored 21 points, went 5-for-11 from 3-point range and added four assists, a block and a steal — all while turning the ball over only once.
LaVine jokingly has pushed for Ball’s minutes restriction to be bumped up from 15 to 25, a reflection of the comfort and creativity the point guard inspires in his teammates. It might take significant time for Ball to be cleared for that level of play, but he will fundamentally reshape the Bulls in the minutes he is on the court.
4. Patrick Williams is still a question mark
Williams needs to emerge this season as a prominent feature for the Bulls. Of course, that’s what the team has been saying for several years, each of which resulted in disappointment due to either injury or ineffectiveness on the court.
Williams exited two preseason games with injuries (wrist, ankle). The minutes he did play were a mixed bag. His 3-point shooting will continue to be a boost in a system that rewards a higher volume of shots from behind the arc, but his ballhandling can’t keep up with the pace the Bulls offense is attempting to set — he averaged two turnovers per game in the preseason.
And Williams still isn’t a presence on the boards, a factor that will become increasingly painful for the Bulls as they adjust to the loss of Andre Drummond.
5. Small ball is here to stay
The Bulls offense will flip on its head this season. Expect to see Williams playing center and every player on the court slinging 3-pointers as the Bulls embrace a smaller roster with only one true center — Nikola Vučević — and a surplus of length on the wing.
The new-look offense goes further than just playing with the available personnel. The Bulls are embracing the reality of no longer having DeRozan on their roster, which means the bulk of offense will shift back behind the 3-point arc after three seasons of being heavily supported in the midrange.
6. Young players will fight for minutes
The Bulls have a wealth of young options to play, including Dalen Terry, Julian Phillips and rookie first-round pick Matas Buzelis. All three will be regular rotation players, but striking a balance for playing time will be a major focus for coach Billy Donovan — especially in the opening weeks of the season.
The reintroduction of Ball into the rotation means minutes once again will be limited for the young players, which means competition will be at an all-time high to earn crucial playing time.
7. E.J. Liddell signs two-way contract
The Bulls locked up their final two-way contract Saturday morning by signing the Belleville West product. Although Liddell played in only two preseason games — averaging four points and four rebounds — he is a notably switchable defender who was consistent throughout training camp.
This means Talen Horton-Tucker — who won three straight city championships with Simeon from 2017-19 — should be set for the final full roster spot.
