The Chicago Bulls are one of the NBA's most intriguing teams to watch in 2026-27, with new head coach Tiago Splitter bringing years of experience from Gregg Popovich's system in San Antonio to one of the NBA's most proud franchises. 

The Bulls are attempting to replicate the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen era blueprint based on their 2026 NBA Draft selections, with Splitter and others adding their own unique touches to the recipe. 

The NBA is set to release Chicago and the rest of the league's schedules this Thursday, August 13, giving fans an exciting week ahead of examining and imagining the possibilities.

So, what would constitute a successful season for coach Splitter's team in 2026-27? 

Here are four goalposts the Bulls should strive for as they prepare for a pivotal season in their franchise's history. 

Bulls fans with memories of the six-title Jordan and Pippen era and the promise of the Derrick Rose and Luol Deng era have aspirations of winning a championship, but Splitter and Bulls have to take it one step at a time.

A winning record should be the team's first and most important goal this season, and it won't be easy in a stacked Central Division alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers amid the return of Tyrese Haliburton. 

Chicago has lost more games than they have won in eight of the last ten seasons. 

Of those, their best finish was 46-36 in 2021-2022. 

This year's team won't be favored to finish with a winning record, but they do have the raw talent to pull it off, if Splitter gets the most out of his young players. 

This season has the feel of one that will be defined not necessarily by results but by the little, intangible things that coach Splitter and his staff see in their players throughout the season.

Star forward Matas Buzelis has talent and drive, but how will he fare when adversity hits this season?

Star rookie Caleb Wilson has intensity and an aggressive, assertive attitude, but how will he respond when other teams try to bully him around?

These are the little things that will give Splitter and his staff the information they need to envision the future of the Bulls as championship contenders.

We will find out what the Bulls and their young players are made of this season, and it won't always show on the stat sheet or in the win column. 

The Bulls have exciting young players in Buzelis, Wilson, Josh Giddey, Dailyn Swain and others who can be box office draws this season.

Will fans take notice and support them, even when the going gets tough? 

A lot depends on the aforementioned category, perseverance. If the Bulls and their players stay committed to doing the right things in pursuit of winning games, fans will continue to support them throughout the season.

If not, the Bulls could find themselves playing in front of a half-empty United Center at various points during the long days of winter. 

The Bulls should strive to be a team that no one wants to see on the schedule each week, and that starts with Splitter and his coaching staff's preparedness. 

The young Bulls can win fans back and set the tone for the future by competing hard and doing the little things to win each game on a week-by-week basis. 

Effort is a statistic that doesn't show up on the stat sheet, but it will have to be the Bulls' calling card until their young talent matures and their roster is fully rounded out.

Fans know and respond well to a competitive team when they see one. 

For Chicago to kickstart their return to prominence this season, it has to start on a game-by-game basis and it has to include treating each game like an opportunity for the team to compete hard on a nightly basis. 

The Bulls' roster looks like it has the mental makeup to be one of the most competitive teams in the league, now it's up to Splitter and his staff to make sure that happens as often as humanly possible.