National Basketball Association

What Will the Chicago Bulls' Closing Lineup Look Like This Season?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

We have an idea who the Chicago Bulls will start this season after the overhaul. It looks like the “Three Alphas” and Robin Lopez will take up four of the five spots. But, who would you want finishing games for the team if you were Fred Hoiberg?

When you look at the Chicago Bulls’ “Three Alphas” trio of Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo, you would think that they’d be the same guys Fred Hoiberg will keep in the game in the last two minutes of games.

But, given the player movement all over the place, plus some good draft picks landing in contending places, the Bulls will be facing tougher teams. Even the weakest teams should not be taken for granted, being that the Bulls lost plenty of games to teams under the .500 mark last year.

For all 82 games this season, the Bulls should have a “plan B” for closing out games. And no, it shouldn’t just be the old Thibodeau concept run of using the starting five as their closers.

Let’s look at five combinations of guys who might be called on by Fred Hoiberg to close out Bulls games this year.

Jul 10, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Bobby Portis (5) looks for a teammate to pass to during an NBA Summer League game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Thomas & Mack Center. Chicago won the game 83-70. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Bench Mob 5.0 is Based Around Energy and Defense

In my opinion, the Bulls’ second unit look like the best guys to finish games if the starters can make a good game of it. For this year, the second unit may include Nikola Mirotic, Bobby Portis, Cristiano Felicio, Denzel Valentine and Jerian Grant, plus Paul Zipser as a key energy guy.

Mirotic and Portis will take turns shooting the lights out of the opponent, while Valentine becomes a lead playmaker. Valentine and Mirotic can be counted on to be last shot-makers in close games, given Valentine’s big-shot making in Vegas this past July.

Grant should be given plenty of playing time as a two-way guard, locking down the opposing team’s playmaker and attacking the rim on the return play. He’s also a good slasher on the offensive end that can penetrate and get to the bucket.

If Hoiberg is running pick-and-dives with his bigs, Felicio, Mirotic and Portis make excellent targets as the dive player. Felicio, Mirotic and even Zipser can really manhandle weaker post defenders when given the opportunity.

Hoiberg wants this season spent grooming both Grant and Valentine to take over the playmaker role for the future and potential postseason play. If Hoiberg plays Rondo heavy minutes, it will set back the development of the young guards on the team. Rondo is playing for the Bulls to give the young guards to have an NBA champion as a mentor.

Allowing the second unit to finish games at times should hasten team chemistry.

Jul 18, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Spencer Dinwiddie (25) defends an inbounds pass during the NBA Summer League final against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Thomas & Mack Center. Chicago won the game 84-82 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Shutting Down Guards, Utilizing “Small-Ball”

The Bulls have practiced swarming the opposing playmaker with their new guard recruits in the Las Vegas Summer League. They were successful with the new defensive focus and ended up winning the LVSL title this year.

More from Pippen Ain't Easy

In the title game, Jerian Grant partnered with Spencer Dinwiddie and successfully slowed down Minnesota Timberwolves hot scoring guard Tyus Jones and won the game in overtime (thanks to Denzel Valentine’s clutch shooting).

Because of the success the Golden State Warriors have had over the past two seasons, NBA teams are running more small-ball lineups to close out games. Hoiberg should be prepared to defend against such lineups by continuing to play tough defense against scoring guards.

The Bulls’ “playmaker blitz” squad should be built with Jimmy Butler against the opponent’s best scorer, Jerian Grant against the opposing point guard, Spencer Dinwiddie against the opposing shooting guard, and the duo of Cristiano Felicio and Robin Lopez locking down the paint against drives and layups.

The three Bulls guards should be the best perimeter defenders, too. Hoiberg can also add Paul Zipser in the mix as the sixth option for fresh legs and adding help defense.

Zipser can also overpower defenders in run-outs, which can allow the Bulls to keep pace-and-space opportunities alive. Dinwiddie and Zipser can both knock down shots from catch-and-shoot chances, so the offense stays alive even for a defensive-oriented small-ball team.

Apr 11, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic (44) handles the ball against New Orleans Pelicans guard Toney Douglas (16) during the first quarter of the game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

The “Rifle Squad”

Third-year men Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic, Bobby Portis, and even Paul Zipser could play more time together as a vaunted “rifle squad” of sorts off the bench to close out games.

Hoiberg could show trust in his young guys by maybe inserting Denzel Valentine as the unit’s playmaker. With Portis at the five, those Kevin Garnett comparisons can see the light more.

Mirotic and McDermott can both play inside-outside offense, preferably with McDermott attacking from the post or through elevator sets. Mirotic can attack the opposing big facing the basket or gunning his infamous, but well-loved 30-footers. Zipser could play the power forward position as the aggressive three-and-D guy.

Everyone’s misinterpretation of Hoiball last year was three-point shooting and a running game as the scheme’s primary win condition. Scoring quick baskets with smart sets were indeed the hallmark of the Iowa State Cyclone offense under Hoiberg.

But in his first NBA season, Hoiberg inherited a team out-of-sync and without the chemistry for sharing the ball. No one was looking for the shooters when they were open. As good as the numbers looked from deep at times, it still was an inconsistent part of the game for the Bulls.

This year, the overhaul of the backcourt depth with pass-first playmakers and two-way guards should help the Bulls look for more scoring opportunities from long range.

McDermott has been linked to the starting power forward spot in the offseason. If you remember how explosive the SummerBulls were when he and Portis were playing alongside Tony Snell, you might have that chemistry this year with them playing alongside Mirotic and Zipser. Plus, you can choose any playmaker who can get these guys the ball where they need it.

Mirotic and McDermott can be the designated scorers if this pure shooting Bulls lineup was used. This” rifle squad” will shoot the lights out, and Portis and Zipser can learn to hold down the fort on defense for this version of the Bulls’ close-out lineup.

Apr 8, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Knicks center Robin Lopez (8) against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The New York Knicks won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Locking Down the Paint, Force Teams to Score from Outside

There will be games where the Chicago Bulls will be facing teams like the Atlanta Hawks, the world champion Cleveland Cavaliers and the revitalized New York Knicks. These teams have a strong post presence and will try to dominate other teams by attacking the rim instead of trying to outshoot them.

In this case, Fred Hoiberg needs to pack the paint with his bigs. Bobby Portis, Cristiano Felicio and Robin Lopez should be more than able to play both twin-post offense and defense. Add Jimmy Butler and Jerian Grant (or Rajon Rondo as a sixth option) and the Bulls have a strong post-defending team.

Butler can shut down stars like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, while Grant and the bigs clean the glass and make life difficult for their opponents.

No more watching the Bulls give up almost 30 layups a game. Player development should take priority and Hoiberg should choose Portis and Felicio over Taj Gibson as the defensive big in tandem with Robin Lopez in a close-out situation.

Apr 5, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) drives against Memphis Grizzlies center Chris Andersen (7) at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Using the “Three Alphas”

The last thing that fans want to see is Fred Hoiberg playing the starters 38-40 minutes a game, including during back-to-backs and long road games. Then, the Bulls’ core guys are fatigued and fighting an uphill battle towards the playoffs. Stupid is doing the same mistake over and over again.

Utitlizing isolation late in games can still be a good thing for the Bulls, but Hoiberg and his staff must scout their opposition stronger to allow him such a luxury this time around.

Jimmy Butler plays great off the ball when he is fresh going into the last five minutes. If he’s been playing for 32 minutes already, chances are he’ll brick shots or drive into double-teams and lose the ball.

Rajon Rondo should have at least two shooters to bail him out if he wants to play more isolation. The only player we are confident of seeing in a one-on-one play is Dwyane Wade because of what he’s been able to do over his career.

If the “Three Alphas” are going to play together in crunch time, read their fatigue levels accurately and give them support they can rely on.

Cristiano Felicio should provide a very good pick-and-dive partner for either Butler or Wade. Isaiah Canaan can be a life-saver in a close-out situation with his ability to shoot from long range.

Last year, the Bulls lost plenty of games they should have won because of bad player shuffling and not going with the hot hand, nor the better unit on the floor.

This year, Fred Hoiberg should keep his eyes open on what is happening on the court and adjust on the fly so the team can win games, and prove naysayers wrong.

This article originally appeared on