Chicago Bulls: 5 biggest questions from 2016-17 season

Jan 27, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo and forward Jimmy Butler and guard Michael Carter-Williams and guard Dwyane Wade (left to right) on the bench to start the first quarter against the Miami Heat at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

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Dec 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago Bulls bench reacts to a call during the first half of the game against the Detroit Pistons at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /

Will younger players see more playing time next season?

When the Bulls sent Taj Gibson and sharpshooter Doug McDermott to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the plan was for their younger guys to get more playing time during the second half of the season.

However, as the Bulls remained in playoff contention, Hoiberg decided to stick with a rotation that gave them the best chance to qualify for the postseason. Although they managed to sneak into the playoffs, the downside was players like as Cameron Payne and Denzel Valentine did not see a ton of playing time — a trend that Paxson hopes will change moving forward.

"“We know change is a part of this, but we don’t want to change without knowing exactly what we have,” Paxson told the Daily Herald. “I don’t feel that we’ve given our young kids a chance to see. “Again, we know we’re on the line for that. Players develop, don’t develop. We scout them. We drafted them. We traded for them. That’s part of the job. But we have to give them an opportunity.”"

From the perspective of Bulls fans, this isn’t the best news in the world. But like it or not, a lot of the younger players that struggled for the most of the season will be calling Chicago home once again in 2017-18.

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