Bulls Rotation Preview: Center
This is the first in a five-part series in which we break down the Bulls’ roster by position and see who stands to get the most opportunities and contribute the most. We start with a position that suddenly got a little more crowded during the offseason. The Bulls might be more prepared in the middle with some depth, but how useful will they be at center?
- Who is Jim Boylen’s likely starter at the position, and why?
There’s no question Wendell Carter Jr. will get the nod. He by far has the most potential on the roster, and it’s unfortunate he couldn’t give us more of a glimpse of who he is because of that broken thumb. This is a young team, and the players with the most talent and upside will tip off games most often. Boylen won’t start Cristiano Felicio, and until he knows exactly what Daniel Gafford and Luke Kornet can do for him, Carter is the safe bet, and rightfully so.
2. Who should start, and why?
Again, Carter is the guy to go with thanks to his sufficient scoring and exceptional shot-blocking ability. He was seen as the safe pick when the Bulls drafted him, and despite having only half a season under his belt, he’s shown he was worth the Bulls not taking chances with anyone else. While only time will tell if someone else should have been taken before him, he always was supposed to be a key role player who might eventually become the defensive backbone of the team. If he stays healthy, which a lot of Bulls unfortunately haven’t been able to do of late, he’ll surprise people with an amazing sophomore campaign and probably get to play in this year’s Rising Stars Challenge in front of the hometown fans.
3. Who should be the primary backup?
All we know for sure is that it won’t be Felicio, who will continue to sit on the far end of the bench as he continues to collect money on one of the worst contracts in Bulls history. That leaves Gafford and Kornet, and as tempting as it is to pick the rookie, the choice here is Kornet, who put up a career-high 24 points against the Bulls as a New York Knick on April Fools’ Day, albeit against a putrid lineup. Historically, the Bulls have been reluctant to give heavy minutes to rookie second-round picks like Gafford, and Kornet has at least shown glimpses of holding his own in the NBA. The reward for that, in addition to still being young, is getting regular minutes, and Kornet will be that player every night.
4. Confidence meter (scale of 1–10): 6
The Bulls might have gotten a little deeper at center, but that doesn’t mean they got more talented there. You have a possible above-average starter in Carter, a disappointment in Felicio, an average player on a new team in Kornet and a rookie who might be a wild card at best in Gafford. Most of the scoring will come from other positions that are more stacked, which will leave the big men to crowd the post for offensive opportunities, find their own shot if they’re lucky and keep easy baskets out of the paint on defense. But whatever Boylen has planned for this group, the overall average talent they have doesn’t mean he should resort to making them facilitators like they’re simply treading water in the NBA. They’ll need to be included in every game plan to lighten the load of the team’s best players, or fatigue will set in for those players, and can Boylen afford another accusation that he’s working players too hard like when he first got the job? Doubtful.
