Tiago Splitter's Offense Will Aid Bulls' Rookies

One of the most persistent questions relating to the Chicago Bulls hiring of Tiago Splitter as head coach was: Will the offense be dramatically different from what Billy Donovan ran as head coach?

Obviously, time will tell, but through three preseason games we have a good idea. 

In Billy Donovan's last season as head coach, the Bulls finished third in the league in pace (103.22). Through three preseason games, Splitter's Bulls are at 104.0 possessions per 48 minutes, right around the same mark as the Donovan Bulls. 

Just like the previous man in charge on the United Center sidelines, Splitter likes his team to play fast, just perhaps not as fast as last year's Bulls. The most important changes going from Billy Donovan to Tiago Splitter as head coach is the emphasis on wing players as the primary creators on offense, and a more creative halfcourt offense. 

Of course, we need the regular season to play out to fully evalaute the transition, but so far, so good. 

Splitter's offensive principles will greatly aid the Bulls' youth, specifically their 2026 NBA Draft picks, Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain. 

Over three preseason games, we have seen the Bulls run a solid amount of halfcourt sets that involve multiple screens, screens at different angles and handoffs, all designed to create easy looks and keep players in motion.

Too often last season the Bulls slowed down in the halfcourt, and possessions ended with players standing around on the perimeter waiting for the man with the ball to create a shot.

Chicago's guard-heavy offense of last season saw Coby White, Collin Sexton and Josh Giddey as the team leaders--in that order--in terms of usage rate. Matas Buzelis was 5th on the team in usage rate, but expect to see that change under Splitter. 

The 2025-26 Trail Blazers saw three wings and two guards in their top-five in terms of usage rate, with the exact order being Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson, Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday. Despite Sharpe being listed first here, Avdija played more minutes overall and was the true driving force behind Portland last season. 

Splitter empowered Avdija greatly, to the tune of 24.2 PPG and 6.7 APG. With Portland running their offense through the 6-8 forward, he averaged a career-high in FGA, PPG, APG, FTA, and usage rate, and made his first All-Star appearance. 

Of course, Wilson, Buzelis and Swain have different playstyles compared to Avdija, but they all have similar builds. Swain and Buzelis are both 6-foot-8, with Wilson a but bigger at 6-foot-10, but all three will be expected to handle the ball a decent amount.

We've already seen Swain bring the ball up the floor and initiate actions this preseason. And while Swain isn't lighting the world on fire this preseason, his play is night and day when compared to his NBA Las Vegas Summer League experience. 

Whereas Swain looked lost in summer league, he has played well enough to at least showcase his ballhandling and playmaking chops in extremly small spurts in preseason.

Swain is averaging 4.0 APG and 2.3 TOPG over three games. A 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio is by no means jaw-dropping, but is a better examples of what the Bulls front office was likely expecting from first-year Swain. 

Buzelis and Wilson are looking like the franchise-changing duo many Bulls fans dreamed up immediately after Wilson's selection at 4th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. 

Wilson--like Deni Avdija under Splitter--looks completely empowered to play his game.

So far in preseason Wilson is leading the Bulls with 14 FGA and 17.7 points per game, with Buzelis (10.3) and Leonard Miller (10.7) behind him. There appears to be a clear pecking order being established, but one that still allows everyone to flourish. Some abnormally poor 3-point shooting from Buzelis is the only thing keeping the Bulls from having three forwards averaging north of 17 PPG this preseason.

The Bulls, with all their new talent, may still finish with a similar record as last season. The big difference will be an offense that plays directly to strengths of the core players.

The 2026-27 season will be all about the development of the Bulls young talent, with the first two draft picks of the new regime likely being a big focus. With Splitter's halfcourt offense having set plays to get players shots on the move and create clear driving lanes, Wilson and Swain are in great hands as they start their NBA careers.