The Chicago Bulls’ bench has been the catalyst of their 7-6 record to begin the 2025-26 NBA season.
The Chicago Bulls are a uniquely built team. They don’t have a superstar, and are going with the much discussed “nine or 10 good players” strategy either. While they are lacking at the top of the talent spectrum, they have done an outstanding job of constructing a bench. It’s not inconceivable that the bench would beat the starters in a scrimmage.
For the sake of this exercise, the bench players will be Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, Jalen Smith, and Patrick Williams. Yes, some have started games but that was largely due to injuries. This was intended to be the bench going into the season.
What Does the Bench Bring to the Table?
The energy, pace, and outstanding play the bench has can be seen with the eye test. It was more evident than ever in their recent tilt vs. the Denver Nuggets. With mainly bench players in, the Bulls extended the lead to 23 points in the second quarter against a Finals contender.
As fans, though, it’s easy to watch role players and convince ourselves they are better than they are. After all, most fans like the players on their favorite team. But do the stats measure up to the eye test? Can this group be impactful?
The Impact
It has been quite the impactful group! When you look at Box Score Plus/Minus, and the box score impact of these players, Josh Giddey leads the squad with a positive 4 (All-Star level impact). But, the five bench pieces mentioned are the next five. In fact, two starters (Matas Buzelis and Isaac Okoro) have had a negative impact, both with a BPM of -3 or worse (almost replacement level). When all of your backups with the exception of Patrick Williams are in the positive range for this stat, the effect on winning is shown.
Story continues below.
More Sports News
How to Watch Blackhawks vs. Calgary Flames: Live Stream, TV Channel, Start Time, Preview
1 day ago
Bear Essentials – Week 11 Takeaways: Chicago Bears in First Place After Another Thrilling Win
2 days ago
2 days ago
Roger Goodell Wheels in BCS Computer to Declare Bears Fraudulent
2 days ago
Blackhawks Place Nick Foligno on IR With Hand Injury
2 days ago
Bears Take the North: Williams, Santos Lead Chicago Past Vikings, 19-17
2 days ago
Blackhawks On Tap: Hawks Stay Hot, Foligno Sidelined, and More
2 days ago
Chicago Blackhawks Defeat Toronto Maple Leafs in Original Six Showdown
4 days ago
Bear Minimum Bets: Your Weekly Guide to Chicago Bears Best Bets
4 days ago
How to Watch Blackhawks vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: Live Stream, TV Channel, Start Time, Preview
4 days ago
.wp-block-group__inner-container:has(> .embla),
.wp-block-group:where(.alignfull) > .wp-block-group__inner-container:has(> .embla) {
width: calc(100vw – (var(–side-spacing) * 2)) !important;
}
.embla {
position: relative;
overflow: hidden;
}
.embla__container {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: nowrap;
gap: 0 !important;
width: 75%;
}
.embla__slide {
margin-inline-end: var(–column-gap);
}
.embla__arrow,
.embla__arrow:active,
.embla__arrow:target,
.embla__arrow:hover,
.embla__arrow:focus-visible {
display: none;
position: absolute;
top: 50%;
transform: translateY(-50%);
width: 40px;
height: 40px;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
line-height: 0;
background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.75);
color: var(–color-primary);
border-radius: 100vw;
svg {
width: 24px;
}
}
.embla__prev {
left: 0;
}
.embla__next {
right: 0;
}
]]>
Sorting through their top four combinations, one group is significantly higher. Dosunmu-Jones-Smith-Williams as a four-man combination have a total rating of +22 in just 43 minutes. This is double the next highest group. They also rank highest on the team in 3-pointers made, rebounds, and steals. It’s been a fast paced defensive group that moves the ball and hits open shots.
To further demonstrate how well they’ve played off of the bench, Ayo Dosunmu is in five of the top seven rated four-man groups on the Bulls. Tre Jones and Kevin Huerter are in four of the top seven as well. Jalen Smith is not in as many four-man groups due to averaging 16 minutes per game (the others all average 26-30), but he is in the top three-man group in his category. Smith-Dosunmu-Williams are rated as +20 in 80 minutes on the court together.
One Stands Out Above the Rest
Ayo Dosunmu, spearheading this bench group, is watching his betting odds rise for Sixth Man of the Year and is in the top ten favorites for this award. Not to denigrate starting guard Josh Giddey, but to compare, Dosunmu is having a season comparable to Giddey’s. Raw numbers aside, the Illinois product actually has a higher assist ratio, rebound percentage, and effective shooting percentage than Giddey. The PIE metric, measuring box score production, also favors the Chicago native. This was incredibly surprising given Giddey’s statistical production, but the metrics don’t lie. Numbers in every category show Ayo Dosunmu has been the Bulls best all-around player this season.
In the End…
If the Bulls are going to keep surprising teams, it won’t be because of a single superstar—it’ll be because their bench keeps tilting games. The numbers and the eye test finally agree: this group changes the energy, the pace, and the scoreboard the moment they check in. The Bulls will need increased production from their starters going forward; the return of Coby White can help with that. But for now, we should celebrate the bench, the main driver of the moderate success the Bulls have had thus far this season.