A rough start to the season only got rougher yesterday, as the Chicago Bulls received unfortunate news about rookie forward Caleb Wilson. After leaving Wednesday night's game against the Spurs early in the third quarter, it was announced on Thursday that Wilson fractured his hand and would miss 4-6 weeks. On this timeline, he would miss somewhere between 13 and 20 games depending on the duration of his recovery.

The Bulls currently sit at 1-9 and at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They couldn't afford to lose a player like Wilson who was producing at a very high level even as a rookie. 

Now that Wilson will officially miss time, the question becomes who can they turn to now?

Matas Buzelis will have to step up his play, but who starts alongside him?

It's like Brad Pitt says in Moneyball, "Guys, you're still trying to replace Giambi. I told you we can't do it. Now, what we might be able to do is re-create him. Re-create him in the aggregate."

Wilson's skillset is so unique, but the Bulls have a couple of intriguing young players who could definitely make an impact while he recovers from surgery.

Noa Essengue is the obvious option to fill those minutes left by Wilson's absence. The 6-foot-11 French forward was drafted by the Bulls a season ago in the first round and ended up missing a majority or his rookie year with a shoulder injury. 

Essengue is back and he's been making some noise coming off the bench for Chicago so far this season. His defensive effort and versatility for a player his size has been impressive and it is clear he has a natural feel for where to go with the ball and when to cut offensively. He's also attacked the glass with ferocity on both ends of the floor, generating extra possessions and putback opportunities for himself. 

Caleb Wilson's defensive playmaking and rebounding was a huge part of the Bulls' gameplan and Noa Essengue can bring a little bit of that to the table on his own.

While Essengue's effort level has been high, his skillset is still very raw and he has issues with fouling. Offensively, he won't give you much outside of the paint as a ball-handler or shooter and defensively he often takes on the toughest matchups and has gotten himself into foul trouble often this season.

Right now, Essengue may not be capable of playing full starter minutes, but in a rebuilding year, there's no reason he shouldn't at least be in for a minutes increase.

Coaches often talk about having intangibles as a way for players to get minutes, and Noa Essengue has those in spades.

Leonard Miller flashed some potential down the stretch of last season after being acquired by the Bulls at the trade deadline, and new president of basketball operations Bryson Graham must have liked what he saw as he picked up his team option for the 2026-27 season.

It looked like that contract was going to be a bargain after an incredible preseason from Miller where he simply looked like one of the best players on the team. His ability to slash to the paint, rebound and what appeared to be improved shooting had Bulls fans enamored. Unfortunately, that production and impact has disappeared since the regular season and Miller has already fallen out of the rotation. 

But Wilson's injury could be the key to Miller getting back on the floor.

Wilson ran the floor hard and was very good at filling lanes cutting to the basket. Leonard Miller could step up and fill that void for Chicago. 

While Miller may not start, expanded opportunity should be coming for the Canadian forward over the next couple of weeks.

Despite a very underwhelming start to his career, the Bulls' former fourth overall pick might be the most intriguing option to step up and start in Wilson's absence. While Williams received DNP's at the start of the season in favor of Leonard Miller and Noa Essengue, in recent games he's been playing a majority of the backup forward minutes and performing at a high level. 

Williams provides the best spacing of the three options and with Wilson's three-point volume being a key part of the offense, the Bulls need someone not afraid to pull the trigger from downtown. Perimeter defense has also been a major issue for Chicago, and Patrick Williams may just be the best perimeter defender on the roster. 

Many Bulls fans are probably thinking that its over for Patrick Williams and why even bother giving him this opportunity, but the truth is he is going to be on this Bulls roster for at least three more seasons. He's only 25 years old and has genuinely looked very comfortable in a more half-court based system that isn't about who runs the hardest and is more focused on utilizing players skillsets in areas.

He also brings one key skill that the others do not and that is connective passing. Williams is a very smart passer. He swings the ball quickly and has flashed some great drive and dump ability this season.

The 7th year forward might just be the best all-around option to replace Caleb Wilson in the rotation if his improved play keeps up in this new system.

The Bulls aren't going to be able to replace a talent like Caleb Wilson with just one player. It's going to take a collective unit. The Bulls have several options capable of stepping up and a lot of young players with a chance to prove they belong in the rotation. Essengue will help fill the defensive playmaking and rebounding gaps, Miller will help with the slashing and Williams will help with the spacing and perimeter defense. It'll be an interesting month, but will be a telling one for this team's future.