Bulls Smash Panic Button, Roll Out Chaotic New Starting Lineup Against Bucks

The Chicago Bulls have officially smashed the panic button and let a random number generator pick their starting five. According to Underdog NBA, Chicago will roll out Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Jalen Wilson, and Jalen Smith for Friday night's game.

If you are wondering what stage of grief the franchise is currently in, this group is a pretty good indicator. Throwing this specific combination onto the floor feels less like a cohesive basketball strategy and more like a social experiment to see how much defensive miscommunication one roster can survive.

"Underdog NBA: 'Lineup alert: Bulls will start Giddey, Powell, Buzelis, Wilson, Smith on Friday.'"

You cannot really blame the coaching staff for shuffling the deck after Wednesday night. The Bulls are coming off a 135-92 humiliation against the Toronto Raptors, a 43-point beatdown so severe it probably should have required the team to walk back to Chicago.

There are at least a few fun pieces here for the sickos who still watch every possession. Buzelis has been flashing serious upside with reports of him averaging over 22 points in recent action, while Powell is projected to hover around 20 points per game as the primary scoring valve.

Then there is Giddey, who is still trying to find his rhythm after an offseason ankle surgery and a lingering hamstring issue. Handing him the keys to an offense featuring two Jalens and a rookie is certainly a choice, especially for anyone brave enough to touch his assist props on the betting market tonight.

Speaking of the market, this lineup is an absolute nightmare to handicap. You have a mix of high-usage veterans and unproven youth stepping onto the court against a Milwaukee Bucks team that usually does not take kindly to defensive mismatches.

We will see if this five-man unit can actually generate enough stops to keep the game competitive, or if they are just sacrificial lambs for the Bucks. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. in Milwaukee, so prepare for absolute chaos.