Biggest Bulls Roster Flaw They Can't Afford to Ignore for Too Long

The Chicago Bulls are going to be young and fun, but their lack of three-point shooting depth could be the biggest reason they struggle.

Apr 5, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) shoots against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Bulls are staring at a gauntlet.

As if the 2026-27 season wasn't expected to be tough enough for this young squad, the NBA handed them one of the most challenging starts of any team. They will play six of their first eight games on the road, as well as face a long list of likely playoff teams over the first three weeks of the year. Could they end up surprising fans as they did a year ago with their 6-1 start? Maybe, but that group at least had a sense of continuity and a somewhat established identity. This group has neither.

Indeed, part of Tiago Splitter's job this year is to build a style of play from the ground up. While we have some idea of the things he might value from his time in Portland, that team also wasn't his from the jump. He inherited a group – albeit early in the season – that went through training camp with a completely different man in charge.

This is why even the preseason will be fascinating for this group. We should learn a lot very quickly about what brand of basketball the new-look Bulls want to bring to the floor.

At the same time, Splitter is going to have to make do with what he has, and there is at least one roster flaw that could get in the way of fully implementing the identity he wants.

The Bulls' Three-Point Shooting Hole

Mar 23, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) shoots against the Houston Rockets during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bryson Graham isn't dumb. Right after the 2026 NBA Draft came to an end, he joked with reporters about what fans might say after seeing his two first-round selections.

“We’re not addressing every skill yet," Graham said. "A lot of people might say, ‘where is the shooting at!’ I’m not typically worried about that right now. There is a certain mentality and a certain profile in a way that Coach Tiago and I want to play. And we feel like today was a good layer for that.”

To Graham's credit, he would go on to address this obvious lack of shooting in free agency with the signing of Norman Powell. He was arguably the best shooter available on the market (career 39.6 percent clip from downtown), and the veteran's floor-spacing is undoubtedly going to help these young wings.

Still, rarely is it a recipe for success to have one above-average shooter in the rotation. The Bulls' next best long-range threat might be big man Jalen Smith, who has played only 17.0 minutes a night over his career. Has Josh Giddey improved in this department in recent years? Absolutely, but he's still not scaring opponents from deep, especially when we consider that he doesn't create much for himself off the bounce.

It's possible that Caleb Wilson is better than expected from three, and he gave fans reason to believe that could be the case in Summer League. But that's also a lot to ask from a rookie. Plus, it wouldn't necessarily mean this Bulls team is a deadly three-point shooting team as a whole.

None of that is to say that everyone needs to be a capable shooter. However, this Bulls roster lacks more options than most. From Tre Jones to Isaac Okoro to Rob Dillingham to Leonard Miller, there is a long list of role players who are subpar from behind the arc. And that could prove to be an increasingly big problem as the Bulls attempt to be competitive and give their young athletic wings room to work.

Again, does it mean Splitter can't come up with a style of play that makes sense? Of course not. If anything, his experience in Portland should be particularly helpful in this case. The Trail Blazers also lacked proven shooters from deep but still tossed-up the third-most shots per game. Why do that when you're only making 34.0 percent? Because he got his group to buy into crashing the glass, and thus became one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the NBA.

Still, if there is anything that's going to hold back this unit in the coming months from looking slightly more competitive, it's likely to be their efficiency from behind the arc. The good news is that Bryson Graham has plenty of flexibility to address this issue down the road. Heck, he even still has an open roster spot at his disposal this offseason. For the time being, though, prepare for some ugly nights from downtown.

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