Hoiberg handled Parker’s benching perfectly

Simply put, you can’t have the defensive-transition issues — and show film to the the entire team — and continue starting Jabari Parker. It sends a message of entitlement throughout the locker room.

Plus, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg talked about “an open competition” for starting spots. Those are hollow words unless he acts upon them. And when Parker struggled defensively at small forward and Bobby Portis outplayed him, Hoiberg made the move.

Even better, he circled back a second time to communicate directly to Parker at least one reason for the move: to use Parker as a facilitator for the second unit. This avoided the messy situation that plagued Hoiberg’s first season when he claimed Joakim Noah volunteered to come off the bench and Noah said otherwise.

The counterargument, with Justin Holiday not projected to be here next season, that the Bulls pulled the plug on Parker at small forward too early has some merit. Especially because when Lauri Markkanen returns, Portis will have to play backup-center minutes when the big-man rotation is split between Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., Portis and Parker. But Parker closed the preseason with his best game. More like that and the Bulls can take another crack at the Parker-at-small-forward look.

When Parker’s game is rolling, he’s a gifted scorer and willing passer. In fact, Zach LaVine revealed an intriguing nugget about the unselfishness of Parker, whom it’s clear teammates and coaches are trying to welcome and make comfortable.

“I remember me coming back (from ACL surgery), I was having some up and down games,” LaVine said. “He’s on a new team. He’s playing in a new system. You have to give him time. He’s a willing passer. He understands the game, especially when someone has it going. He has been in the huddle a couple of times when Coach called him a play and he’s like, ‘No, let’s get the ball to him.’ That says a lot as a teammate. He’s very unselfish. He can facilitate, get to the hole and create.”

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7 p.m. Thursday in Philadelphia, TNT

LaVine looks explosive and poised for a big season

Speaking of the Bulls’ $78 million man, LaVine displayed long intervals of the seemingly effortless scoring that made him the centerpiece of the Jimmy Butler trade. Preseason or not, LaVine’s numbers — 17.8 points in 22 minutes on 51.7 percent shooting, including 43.8 percent from 3-point range — are extremely encouraging.

LaVine also averaged 4.8 free-throw attempts in that limited playing time, a sign that he’s most effective when he’s attacking instead of drifting and hunting shots.

This season’s main goal — getting LaVine integrated with Markkanen and Kris Dunn — will have to wait until Markkanen returns from injury in late November or early December. But after an offseason spent on basketball rather than rehabilitation, LaVine’s athleticism looks to be back to his pre-torn-ACL level.

“I tried this training camp to become more of a leader, a go-to guy out there,” LaVine said. “I already had that makeup. But with Lauri out, I have to take a little more responsibility. We have so many scorers, even if I don’t have it going, Bobby can pick me up, Kris can pick me up. But I have the same mentality every game — to be aggressive.”

Carter is ready to start at age 19

This might be the biggest surprise to most outside the Bulls’ gym.

Conventional wisdom had Robin Lopez starting the season as Carter, 19, acclimated to the speed of the NBA. Don’t throw too much on the rookie’s plate, the thinking went, particularly with such a solid veteran ahead of him.

Instead, Carter’s defensive versatility and ability to run the floor have belied his experience. He offers not only rim protection but the ability to switch onto smaller guards and display strong footwork at least to contain them.

“His length bothers shooters,” Hoiberg said. “The art of verticality, he has it down in the paint where he goes straight up to affect shots. And he’s running the floor extremely well for a 7-footer. He’s continuing to get more comfortable the more reps he’s getting against very good players.”

About Carter facing those good players ... foul trouble could be an issue. Twice, Carter has picked up two fouls by the midpoint of the first quarter. His defensive mentality and sacrificial status — for referees — as a rookie could make this a recurring theme. But speaking to his maturity, Carter insists it won’t be.

“As I start learning how the game is and what the emphases are on the court, I’ll get smarter,” Carter said. “The game definitely slowed down for me from the start of preseason to the end. I felt more comfortable on the court. People say the regular season is a lot different. But I got a little experience and I’m looking forward to our first regular-season game.”

Portis’ last season wasn’t a fluke

Portis averaged 17 points in 22 minutes in five preseason games, and that’s with unsightly 26.3 percent 3-point shooting. Given that Portis said his biggest offseason focus centered on 3-point shooting and he connected at 35.9 percent last season, expect that stat to improve.

The fourth-year big man has started to excel at recognizing mismatches — punishing smaller defenders down low, taking bigger defenders to the perimeter. He still can get shot-happy, and his defense, while improved, can get better.

But the fact he’s willing to embrace any role and plays with energy all the time make him valuable.