Bulls projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season
Chicago Bulls starting power forward: Patrick Williams
Patrick Williams’ career is off to a bumpy start. He lost most of his second season to injury, but last season was an important step in the right direction for the No. 4 pick from the 2020 NBA Draft. Williams, in fact, looks ready to break out in a big way for a Chicago team that will desperately rely on him.
Chicago’s current roster simply does not feature very many true wings or forwards. Williams has positional size (6-foot-8) and strength with the ability to nimbly switch one through four on defense. What is most important for Chicago is his ability to handle physically demanding matchups in the frontcourt. Somebody has to guard the LeBrons and Giannises of the world. For the Bulls, that man is — almost exclusively, at the moment — Williams.
The Bulls need to flesh out the frontcourt in a big way but Williams is well-positioned for a stellar fourth season. He’s already carrying his weight on the defensive end for Chicago. In his first year back from injury, he played all 82 games (with 65 starts) and was a paragon of reliability for a team in dire need of it.
The offensive progression for Williams will ultimately determine his ceiling. He hit 41.5 percent of his 3s last season, but now the volume has to increase. He has the strength to play bully ball in the post and he flashes soft touch on mid-range jumpers, so there’s untapped potential beyond a simple 3-and-D role player. The Bulls need Williams to really lean into the 3-and-D attributes of his game, but Billy Donovan would be wise to throw Williams a few bones as he discovers the full extent of his game at the NBA level.
Primary backup power forward: Torrey Craig
The Bulls would probably feel better about things if there were a few more Torrey Craigs on the roster. Craig is the only proven wing-sized defender in the Bulls’ second unit. At 6-foot-7 with broad shoulders and a proven track record playing for multiple contenders, Craig’s defensive utility will make him an essential reserve.
At first glance, one might not think of the Bulls as a quality defensive team, but the Bulls were quietly a top-five defense last season. Now the Bulls’ major additions — Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig — will only strengthen Billy Donovan’s arsenal on that end of the floor. The Bulls lack size, which can compromise them in certain matchups, but Chicago has a ton of intelligent, active defenders who make it difficult for opposing offenses to function.
Craig will help in an area of relative weakness on defense and he hit 39.4 percent of his 3s last season. That’s all you need out of a minimum contract.