Three Keys to a Successful Season for the Bulls

Giddey put up these stats over 19 games, almost a quarter of a season. There wasn’t a big outlier game that skewed these stats; Giddey was consistently the best player on the Bulls and had multiple 20-point triple-doubles.

He carried that momentum into the preseason, averaging 16.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7 assists in limited minutes. The Bulls made it clear this offseason that it’s Giddey’s team. Now he has to prove last season’s run wasn’t a fluke.

Matas Buzelis’ Development

If Giddey isn’t the face of the franchise, it’s Matas Buzelis. Buzelis showed flashes over his rookie year, but didn’t get consistent minutes until the second half of the season. Because of injuries, the Bulls lacked size down the stretch, giving Buzelis an opportunity. With that opportunity, he forced head coach Billy Donovan to put him in the starting lineup after he shot a perfect 10/10 with 24 points against the Miami Heat.

Buzelis spent the offseason working, and the results showed. He scored 28 points in the Bulls’ final Summer League game and led the team in preseason scoring, averaging 17.6 points in just 23.4 minutes per game. He even had a five-block performance that showcased his growth as a defender.

Chicago will be without Coby White for at least two weeks as he recovers from injury, which could give Buzelis an even larger role. With White sidelined, Buzelis is likely to become the primary scoring option – just as he was in the preseason. There’s a real chance he could average 20 points per game, an 11-point jump from last season, and emerge as a candidate for Most Improved Player in only his second year.

When and How Often Will Noa Essengue Play?

The reason a 20-point average would mark an 11-point jump for Buzelis is simple: he barely played early in his rookie season. The Bulls’ 2025 first-round pick, Noa Essengue, may follow a similar path.

Essengue is less polished than Buzelis was coming in and saw limited preseason action, mostly logging minutes in the fourth quarter. He’s expected to begin the season in the G League, while several players drafted after him contribute right away for other teams. But the Bulls didn’t draft Essengue for immediate impact: they took him for his tools and long-term potential as a frontcourt partner for Buzelis.

Playing time is crucial for development, though. It’s rare for a lottery pick to spend an entire rookie season in the G League, so it’ll be interesting to see when head coach Billy Donovan gives him NBA minutes and in what situations.

Essengue, the league’s second-youngest rookie behind Cooper Flagg, will have a very different definition of success this year. If he can crack the rotation and surpass Julian Phillips on the depth chart, that would signal meaningful progress.

This year will be the first full season of the rebuild, and success will likely not be determined by a win total, but by these three storylines. If Giddey continues his late-season heroics, Buzelis builds on his preseason, Essengue contributes, and the Bulls get a top pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft, Chicago could be the next young team to break out.