Tiago Splitter has seen enough of one combination. After the Bulls lost 127-121 to the 76ers on Sunday, the first-year coach said the staff had given Buddy Hield and Leonard Miller about eight or nine games and wanted to try a different look. In the game itself, neither player stepped on the floor.
Bulls Rotation Change: Splitter Sits Hield and Miller vs. 76ers
Hield and Miller sat the whole game on the coach’s decision, and Patrick Williams and Jordan Hawkins took their minutes. Williams played nearly 25 minutes and finished with seven points, three assists and a steal. Hawkins got about 17 minutes and scored nine points.
Neither line jumps off the page, but both players got in a real run. For Williams, that’s new, because he hadn’t played in any of the Bulls’ first seven games.
Two Reserves Who Helped Win the Bulls’ Only Game
That’s what makes this stand out. Hield and Miller weren’t afterthoughts. They were two of the reasons Chicago has a win at all. In the 132-125 comeback over Milwaukee, Miller scored 19 points and Hield added 13 as the bench erased a 15-point deficit.
After that game, Splitter preached patience. He said you can’t change the starting lineup every time a player has a good or bad night. This time he changed the reserves.
A Night of Moving Parts
It was a rotation night with a lot going on. Norman Powell was a late scratch, which put Isaac Okoro in the starting lineup. Nic Claxton also made his season debut off the bench after missing the first eight games.
Hawkins, the late preseason addition who landed the final two-way spot, made all three of his shots for six points as Chicago cut a 12-point deficit to six by the end of the third. The Bulls led early and still lost by six. Josh Giddey had 19 points and 15 assists.
What Splitter Is Telling His Roster
Splitter named the players he’d tried, said how long he’d tried them, and moved on. That kind of bluntness is rare this early in a season, especially from a first-year head coach.
At 1-8 with seven straight losses, the second unit is where he has the most room to experiment. Williams and Hawkins now have a chance to prove they belong, and Hield and Miller will have to wait for another look. Whether this Bulls rotation change sticks is the real question.
Bulls Rotation Change: Coach Sat Two Reserves, Then Explained Why