Bulls Notebook: Minutes Are Moving Before the Games Do

Quiet Tuesday. Hoops Rumors put Norman Powell's name in a Tuesday Eastern Conference notes roundup alongside Miami, with no detail on why. That was the extent of Chicago's news for the day, a rare quiet stretch this deep into September.

Dillingham's Jump. Rob Dillingham averaged 13 more minutes a night than his season rate across his final three games last season whenever a teammate ahead of him sat out. He is nursing a right wrist injury now, targeted to return by Oct. 1, a test of whether that role sticks.

Williams Matches It. Patrick Williams showed the identical pattern: 34 minutes a night over his last three games last season, 14 above his season average, every time a teammate was sidelined. Splitter inherits a forward who has already proven he can carry a heavier load.

Miller's Role Grows. Leonard Miller closed last season playing 28.8 minutes a night over his final 10 games, 13.1 above his season mark. Small sample, but it is the clearest sign a bench forward was already trending toward more responsibility before Splitter took over.

Camp Bodies. Dailyn Swain (wrist), Zach Collins (toe), Dillingham (wrist) and Giddey (ankle) are all nursing injuries entering camp, each targeted to return by Oct. 1. That is four of sixteen roster spots not yet full-go as Splitter's first practices approach.

Best Lineup, Gone. The top-performing five-man unit last season, Vucevic, Huerter, Okoro, Giddey and Buzelis, posted a plus-4.2 net rating over 65 minutes. Vucevic and Huerter are both gone, dealt at the deadline, so that number belongs to a roster that no longer exists.