🔥 “Breaking News: Bulls Shake Up Starting Lineup! Patrick Williams’ Position in Jeopardy? Full Report Inside!”

With four of their five preseason games out of the way, the Chicago Bulls are starting to show their hand.

Despite returning a roster defined by its continuity, Bulls coach Billy Donovan has tried some of everything this preseason. He’s mixed lineups, rotations and minutes, searching for the right combinations to carry into the regular season.

We’ve watched all 16 preseason quarters of the Bulls so you didn’t have to. Some key developments have emerged. A clearer picture of what the Bulls will look like when they tip off the regular season against Oklahoma City on Oct. 25.

Here is where things stand with the Bulls one week before the real games begin.

Coby White closing in on starting point guard job
It feels like the battle for the starting point guard role is over.

Coby White has started all four preseason games and has looked largely comfortable manning the job. He struggled with a game-high five turnovers Tuesday due to the Toronto Raptors’ ball pressure. But he’s been a steady option at the lead guard.

“I’m getting accustomed to it, especially running with the first unit,” White said. “I haven’t done that on this team really at all. I haven’t played with those guys a lot because the first two years with them I came off the bench. So it’s an adjustment period but it’s been fun. I love the challenge of it. I’m getting better.”

White appears to be the Bulls’ best weapon at slicing into the paint. It was a problem area for the team last season and among the factors that made them overly perimeter-oriented. White’s increasing effectiveness in attacking the rim will help. He’s not yet consistently breaking down his defender but he’s found creative ways into the paint against closeouts and in transition.

With 7 minutes, 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter Tuesday, White generated a wide-open Zach LaVine corner 3 by zooming into the paint and pitching to DeMar DeRozan, who whipped the extra pass to LaVine. Even when White doesn’t get the assist, he’s shown growth in finding the open man as the proper next pass.

“Obviously it’s going to be growing pains. I’m not perfect,” White said. “I haven’t played on the ball in, like, three years. I’m not trying to make any excuses or anything like that. But I feel like the whole team and the coaching staff believe in me.

“If I do end up being that starting point guard, I’m not going to take it for granted like I always say. I’m going to try to take advantage of every opportunity I get.”

Patrick Williams’ role and rotations
For the second straight preseason, Patrick Williams’ role has come into focus.

This is shaping up as a make-or-break season for the fourth-year forward. But the same challenges that have been difficult for Williams throughout his career appear to be creeping into this campaign.

He was substituted only 2:16 into Tuesday’s contest. And it wasn’t part of the planned rotation.

“I just thought there were a lot of opportunities for him to get to the backboard and offensive rebound,” Donovan said. “We had talked about it. And I just didn’t like the way we came out. It’s not even about him missing or making shots or being aggressive. I think athletically, there are things he can get in.

“There was an opportunity on one of the first possessions he could have laid a good screen and he tried to slip out of it. We can’t run away from physicality.”

Williams is supposed to be beyond this never-ending call for more. He’s conceded that inconsistency is his biggest weakness but that’s what he’s displayed. He scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting and looked the part at Denver on Sunday, albeit with the Bulls’ top players in street clothes. But then he was a non-factor until the final minutes Tuesday.

The Bulls have tinkered with Williams coming off the bench before to kick-start the first string and give him more opportunities in the second string. They could be close to that point again. Williams has admitted he doesn’t feel as comfortable playing alongside LaVine, DeRozan and Nikola Vučević. Donovan has structured Williams’ rotations so he can play more minutes with the second unit. But on Tuesday against the Raptors, LaVine led the second unit in the first half and took complete control. So the question must be asked, where does Williams fit?

Through four games, Williams also has pulled down only 10 rebounds. It’s a concern that grows by the game.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been a challenge,” Williams said. “I think it’s something I can do. I don’t think that’s a secret that I can rebound the ball. It’s more so just going back and getting it. Just having the mindset of going in and offensive rebounding and defensive rebounding and getting us extra possessions.”

Torrey Craig stealing minutes and closing
The reason Williams’ role is in question, along with his erratic play, is the energetic play of free-agent acquisition Torrey Craig.

If one highlight could summarize Craig’s impact it came with 1:45 remaining in the third quarter Tuesday. That’s when Craig made arguably the play of the preseason with a perfectly timed and equally vicious chase-down block on Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr.

“Just making a play at the ball,” Craig said. “That’s the type of player I am. I don’t care who it is. It could be Giannis (Antetokounmpo) or LeBron (James). If somebody’s on a break, I’m going to try to block it. I’m not just going to let them dunk it or lay it up. I do it every time.”

Craig’s defensive versatility, rebounding and non-stop hustle seemingly have him on the verge of more minutes with the first string. The Bulls have a history of poor starts to halves. It’s gotten Williams removed from the first string before. Patience probably will be shorter this season if Williams still hasn’t evolved into a reliable performer. Because Craig is waiting in line.

“He’s been unbelievable,” Donovan said of Craig. ”He has been great. You can plug him in with anybody because everything that he does is always about the sacrifice to make the group better. And every team needs that. And he can figure out very quickly how he can get into a game and what he does well based on the personnel that’s on the floor.

“He’s got a really good basketball IQ. He remembers plays. He understands defensive coverages. He can read things in the moment. He’s got a good grasp on who he is. He’s got a good grasp on what we’re trying to do. And he’s good at communicating it.”

Craig began closing the first half with the starters in place of Williams in the Bulls’ second preseason game. On Tuesday, Craig logged 27 minutes to Williams’ 21 and sat with the starters as the reserves and Williams finished the game.

Perimeter shooting isn’t up to par
For all the talk from the Bulls about changing their shooting profile, they have yet to prove through their preseason performance that they’re ready to commit.

After attempting 35 and 38 3-pointers in the first two preseason games, the Bulls launched only 29 and 26 in the next two contests. The green light has been given to all to fire away. Yet players still aren’t shooting instinctively.

“We just have too many shots we’re passing up,” Donovan said. “Not that we want to take 50 (3-pointers), but we had an opportunity to take another 10. And what we’re doing is we’re shot-faking and passing up (shots). And we’re trying to drive the ball and we’re not even going to the rim. We’re driving to the elbow and stopping and trying to pass. And we end up with a more difficult shot than we had prior to that.”

Players feel it too.

“I think we’re passing up a couple,” Williams said. “That’s something that we just got to slow down and read the 3s we’re getting. That’s kind of everybody, I would say.”

Don’t rule out draft picks
Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips, the Bulls’ last two draft picks, haven’t been featured prominently this preseason. However, Phillips is neck and neck with Craig for the play of the preseason — a filthy poster dunk on Nuggets center Jay Huff.

Neither are projected to see much action this season. Both look like they require much more seasoning. But Donovan gave an interesting response when asked how he plans to handle the development of young players who appear to not have a pathway to playing time.

“I don’t like necessarily projecting or passing judgment on what may happen when the season starts because a lot of people wouldn’t have felt like Ayo (Dosunmu) wouldn’t have gotten a lot of playing time his rookie year,” Donovan said. “And then with the injuries to Alex (Caruso) and Lonzo (Ball), a huge hole opened up. And I think it’s the responsibility of all of us with these guys to try to keep them ready and keep working with them and help them get better.

“Dalen’s worked hard since last season. He wants to play, as they all do. But when a guy maybe doesn’t have that avenue where he’s in the rotation, I think the player needs to have a plan in front of him to get better. Then it needs to be a commitment by the player to try to get better, whether that’s in practice with us, whether that’s Windy City games, all those things. There’s got to be things development-wise that guys can get better from.”

Derrick Favors to join Windy City
When the Bulls signed Derrick Favors to a training camp deal Monday, the news captured attention because of the name.

Favors was the third overall pick in 2010. The 6-foot-9 forward/center spent nine of his 13 NBA seasons with Utah. Without roster space on the Bulls, Favors’ signing see