The Chicago Bulls announced Friday that Nic Claxton will make his highly anticipated season debut Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

While Claxton will still be on a minutes restriction, his return couldn't come at a better time for a Bulls team desperately searching for answers.

Chicago's center rotation has been a mixed bag through eight games. Jalen Smith has been one of the team's most productive players as a starter, but a recent injury has raised concerns about his availability. Meanwhile, Zach Collins has been underwhelming in his role as the backup big man.

Claxton should provide an immediate boost with his athleticism, rim protection and defensive versatility. His ability to switch onto smaller players, protect the paint and finish around the rim gives Chicago a dimension it has sorely lacked to begin the season.

But Claxton's return could have an even bigger impact on the Bulls' starting lineup.

Let's face it. The Bulls have been pretty terrible to start the season.

Chicago has repeatedly found itself digging out of massive early deficits, and much of that responsibility falls on the starting unit.

Of the five starters, Matas Buzelis has arguably been the weakest link.

The third-year forward has struggled to find any consistency offensively, often looking hesitant and unwilling to attack. His defense has been even more concerning, and the energy, hustle and intangibles that should be staples of his game have been largely nonexistent.

Buzelis has already found himself on the bench during multiple fourth quarters this season because of his poor play.

At some point, something has to change.

That doesn't mean the Bulls should give up on Buzelis. Far from it. He's still one of the most important pieces of Chicago's rebuild and has the talent to develop into a legitimate difference-maker.

But talent alone doesn't guarantee a starting spot, and perhaps a temporary move to the bench is exactly what he needs.

We've seen this approach work in professional sports before.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was benched just two games into his second NFL season after a disastrous start. Rather than allowing his struggles to continue, Carolina gave him an opportunity to reset.

Young eventually returned to the starting lineup and played some of the best football of his young career.

The situations aren't identical, but the lesson remains the same. Sometimes young players need a little external motivation to get themselves back on track.

Buzelis doesn't need to spend the rest of the season coming off the bench. He just needs to rediscover the aggression, effort and confidence that made him such an exciting prospect in the first place.

Claxton's return opens the door for an intriguing possibility.

Jalen Smith has proven himself to be a versatile big man capable of playing both power forward and center. His ability to stretch the floor offensively makes him an interesting fit alongside a traditional rim-running center like Claxton.

That could allow Tiago Splitter to experiment with a starting lineup featuring Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Caleb Wilson, Jalen Smith and Nic Claxton.

And apparently, Splitter is already considering the possibility.

"We will be trying different things. We will give them some time to be together on the court and have a sample size there," Splitter said Friday when discussing the possibility of playing Smith and Claxton together.

It's an experiment worth trying.

Smith's perimeter shooting would help maintain spacing while Claxton operates around the basket. Defensively, the Bulls would gain a legitimate rim protector alongside Smith, allowing Chicago's frontcourt to become significantly more imposing.

The additional size could also help compensate for some of the defensive shortcomings of Chicago's backcourt, particularly with Giddey and Powell sharing the floor.

And for a team that has been getting bullied defensively and struggling to establish any physical presence early in games, that could make a massive difference.

Of course, Claxton's minutes restriction means this lineup probably won't be a full-time option immediately. But as his workload increases, Splitter should seriously consider giving the combination an extended look.

It's important to remember that the Bulls have only played eight games.

Nobody should be writing off Buzelis or making sweeping judgments about the future of this young roster based on such a small sample size.

But that doesn't mean Chicago should continue doing the same things and expecting different results.

The Bulls are rebuilding. Wins and losses aren't nearly as important as development, effort and establishing a winning culture.

And right now, the starting lineup isn't consistently delivering those things.

Moving Buzelis to the bench could allow him to regain his confidence against opposing second units while giving Smith and Claxton an opportunity to establish themselves as a formidable frontcourt pairing.

More importantly, it would send a message that effort and production matter, regardless of where a player fits into the organization's long-term plans.

Claxton's return won't magically fix everything wrong with the Bulls.

But it gives Splitter another option, and potentially the flexibility to make the kind of lineup adjustment this team desperately needs.

For a Bulls squad searching for its identity, that opportunity alone makes Sunday's debut worth watching.