Big front office changes feel like move in right direction

The Chicago Bulls tip off their 2020-21 season against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night at the United Center, their first meaningful game since March.

The franchise has been through a whirlwind of changes since then, including revamping their front office with new executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley and hiring a new coach in Billy Donovan to give the organization the feeling that it’s headed in the right direction after the rebuild became stagnant.

Despite those changes, the Bulls return just about the same roster as the one that last took the floor nine months ago. They might be shaping up to be a more fun, more watchable and more interesting team — even though it’s unclear how quickly that will translate to winning.

Here are five questions about the Bulls to keep an eye on this season.

Where does the playmaking come from?

Coby White and Zach LaVine are going to make a dynamic backcourt pairing. And with their scoring ability, the duo could be one of the most fun and prolific duos in the league on certain nights. Both are talented scorers with the ability to get their own shot all the time. Creating shots for others, however, is not something that comes natural to either.

LaVine can be prone to turnovers and did not do well when asked to be the Bulls primary playmaker last season. But the Bulls did not add another primary point guard, instead turning over the keys of the offense to White in his second season. White still is young, so he certainly is capable of growing and developing into more of a pure point guard. He showed during the preseason he will look to get teammates involved, but he struggles when he has to go beyond his initial first or second reads. Both members of the Bulls starting frontcourt need someone to help them get the ball in the right spot.

Coach Billy Donovan has emphasized that players are going to have to move and work together to create shots for each other, but where the bulk of that comes from is going to be a huge question mark.

How much can Carter Jr. contribute on offense?

A potential breakout from Carter was one of the biggest storylines at the start of camp, with a plan to get him more involved in the offense, take advantage of his skills as a passer and, of course, allow him to shoot 3-pointers. His performance in the preseason (including 1-for-16 from beyond the arc) has at least quelled that hype for now.

Carter never was going to show up as a refined offensive player overnight. He was an afterthought in the Bulls offense the last two seasons, never involved in much other than setting screens or cleaning up misses in the paint. The Bulls are asking for significantly more out of him and despite some struggles, Donovan has continued to express confidence that Cartercan handle it.

Carter might already be the Bulls’ best passer and facilitator. He won’t immediately become the kind of threat from deep a stretch playersuch as Lauri Markkanen is supposed to be, but the Bulls are hopeful he can at least become an average shooter that opponents have to respect. If the exhibition games are any indication, Carter is going to be heavily involved and a key decisionmaker. What he does with the opportunity will be key for his development.

Can Markkanen ‘prove it’?

Despite both sides sayingthey had interest in a long-term union at the start of training camp, the Bulls and Markkanen were not able to come to terms on a contract extension before the season. That puts him on the last year of his contract and headed toward restricted free agency after the season.

Waiting to reach an extension could prove beneficial for both sides. The Bulls are hopeful an extra year will help ease the uncertainty surrounding Markkanen, whose production regressed in his third season. Markkanen, meanwhile, could set himself up for a big payday if he can have a bounce-back season with improved health and a change in coaching style and offensive philosophy.

Markkanen still is one of the key players left over from the Jimmy Butler trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017, a trade that looks potentially damaging after Butler led the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals last season. It makes Markkanen one of the most important players to the Bulls’ success this season, with his production set to determine whether he will be part of the team’s future going forward.

What do the Bulls have in Williams?

The sample size is only four preseason games, but the early returns on rookie Patrick Williams look good. He doesn’t look out of place or overwhelmed by the NBA stage, even at the age of 19. There even is a legitimate chance he could open the regular season in the starting lineup for the Bulls after coming off the bench during his one season at Florida State.

He already might be the Bulls’ best perimeter defender — even if he’s not completely polished against quicker guards — has a solid midrange game, some moves around the basket and range from deep. His ballhandling and passing skills are better than expected, with some of the skills carrying over from playing point guard in high school. None of these skills are elite or completely refined yet, but Williams showed flashes duringthe preseason.

There will be an adjustment periodfor Williams to grow, but the initial impressions of the rookie have been favorable. How Williams grows through his first season in the NBA will be worth keeping a close eye on.

How much is a coaching bump really worth?

The Bulls should receive an upgrade this season. Donovan comes in as one of the most well-regarded coaches in the league with five playoff appearances in five tries at Oklahoma City, where he regularly exceeded regular-season expectations. Players love playing for him. The first glimpse of his Bulls offense looked, at least, much less congested than last season and the team should benefit from some creativity.

Coaching usually is one of the most difficult areas of a team to evaluate, however, and while the Bulls should benefit from a new voice, they are also bringing back almost all of last season’s team. So while Donovan’s hiring brought a lot of excitement — and rightfully so — the NBA is a players’ league and this Bulls core has won 22 games in back-to-back seasons. How much of a bump in wins will a coaching change ultimately be worth?