The Bulls’ Starting 5 Isn’t The Problem… Their Bench Could Decide EVERYTHING

The Chicago Bulls’ starting five looks relatively clear — but the bench could decide whether this team is actually better than expected.On today’s Chicago Bulls Central, Haize breaks down the biggest rotation question facing Tiago Splitter entering the 2026-27 season: do the Bulls have a genuinely deep bench, or just a crowded group of players fighting for minutes? Chicago’s projected starting five of Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson and Nic Claxton is straightforward, but the real question is what happens after those five.Haize looks at the battle involving Tre Jones, Jalen Smith, Isaac Okoro, Leonard Miller, Rob Dillingham, Dailyn Swain, Patrick Williams, Zach Collins and Noa Essengue — and why NBA rotations usually shrink to eight or nine dependable players when games matter.Could Tre Jones be the second unit’s stabilizer? Is Jalen Smith secretly Chicago’s sixth man after posting strong production and impact numbers? Can Leonard Miller become the bench’s chaos button? Does Rob Dillingham give the Bulls a real microwave scorer? And is Patrick Williams in danger of going from former starter to outside the rotation?Plus, Haize debates whether Bryson Graham should attach draft picks just to dump Patrick Williams. If the Bulls are not clearing space for an immediate championship move, is it worth burning assets just to erase a contract from the previous front office? Or should Chicago let Williams compete under Splitter and Jordan Brink before making another costly decision?🔥 Topics include:Bulls bench rotation battleTre Jones as the stabilizing guardJalen Smith as a possible sixth manIsaac Okoro’s defensive-specialist roleLeonard Miller’s path to real minutesRob Dillingham as the bench ceiling-raiserDailyn Swain’s rookie rotation challengePatrick Williams’ uncertain roleZach Collins as matchup depthNoa Essengue and the G League questionShould the Bulls attach picks to dump Patrick Williams?Why Chicago only needs two young bench players to hit🎧 Tap in with Haize on Chicago Bulls Central for the full breakdown!Podcast Links: https://linktr.ee/BullsCentralPodGet at us:Email: [email protected]:@BullsCentralPodPhone: ‪(773) 270-2799‬Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy