Locked On Bulls - Daily Podcast On The Chicago Bulls podcast

Who CLOSES Games For The Bulls?! Plus Jalen Duren Watch & Chicago’s Short-Leash Team 👀🐂

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The Chicago Bulls’ starting lineup may look fairly clear, but who actually finishes games when the score gets tight? 👀🐂

On today’s episode of Locked On Bulls, Haize and Pat The Designer predict Tiago Splitter’s closing rotation for the 2026-27 NBA season. The projected starters — Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Caleb Wilson, and Nic Claxton — give Chicago size, athleticism, scoring and defense, but the best five players to start a game may not always be the best five to finish one.

The guys break down different late-game situations. Does Nic Claxton stay on the floor when Chicago desperately needs shooting? Could Jalen Smith close because of his ability to stretch the floor? Does Isaac Okoro enter when the Bulls need one stop? Could Rob Dillingham become the offensive wildcard when the half-court offense stalls? And will rookie Caleb Wilson earn immediate closing minutes?

Haize and Pat also discuss whether the Bulls should be closely monitoring the Jalen Duren situation with the Detroit Pistons. Duren's combination of youth, athleticism, rebounding and interior scoring makes him an intriguing player to watch if his long-term future in Detroit ever becomes uncertain. The question for Chicago is whether a player like Duren would be worth pursuing given the Bulls' existing investment in Claxton and their developing frontcourt.

Plus, the guys reveal their Bulls All Short-Leash Team, featuring Rob Dillingham, Patrick Williams and Noa Essengue. All three have talent, but each enters the season with something major to prove.

Can Dillingham show enough defensively to earn consistent minutes? Can Patrick Williams finally deliver the aggression and consistency Bulls fans have waited years to see? And can Essengue prove he's ready for NBA minutes instead of spending most of the year developing in the G League?

Topics Include:
Predicting the Bulls' 2026-27 closing five
Who Tiago Splitter should trust late in games
Offensive vs. defensive closing lineups
Caleb Wilson's chances of closing games as a rookie
Rob Dillingham's potential late-game role
Should the Bulls monitor Jalen Duren?
How Duren would fit Chicago's young core
Bulls All Short-Leash Team
Patrick Williams' pressure entering the season
Noa Essengue's development timeline
Bulls training camp rotation battles

The Bulls suddenly have enough depth that Tiago Splitter will have real choices to make. That's a good problem — but it also means players who struggle early may quickly find themselves outside the rotation.

🎙️ Tune in to Locked On Bulls as Haize and Pat predict Chicago's closing lineup, discuss why Jalen Duren should remain on the Bulls' radar, and reveal which players enter the season on the shortest leash.

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