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Supporting cast will determine Bulls' success

Change is the reason the Chicago Bulls are interesting this season.

But while the spotlight is focused on the so-called "three alphas," the Bulls' success doesn't depend on how well Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo can coexist.

To win consistently, the Bulls need quality depth, which means eight or nine solid contributors every night. A sorry bench was a bigger issue last season than poor chemistry among the mismatched trio of Butler, Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol.

With so many great unknowns among the reserves, the Bulls have one of the more wide-open windows of any NBA team.

If everything goes really well, a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference isn't out of the question. Neither is missing the playoffs as the 10th- or 11th-place finisher.

Butler acknowledged he's already been confronted by low expectations.

"People may come up and say to me, 'Yo, y'all going to win x amount of games,'" Butler said. "I understand everybody's entitled to their opinion. I think the first amendment says that. That doesn't mean I have to take any of their nonsense."

Butler didn't list any of the win totals offered by random fans. It's not uncommon to see predictions of the Bulls missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.

"I think I know how it's going to play out," Butler said. "I think everybody overlooks us anyway. All we can do is overachieve. I know the group of guys we've got. I know how we've been working and preparing. So I know how I think it's going to go."

Wherever the Bulls are going, the biggest unknown is how they'll get there. The opening night starting lineup of Rondo, Wade, Butler, Taj Gibson and Robin Lopez should be good at moving the ball and guarding the interior.

Traditionally, though, there aren't any great 3-point shooters in that lineup. So coach Fred Hoiberg will be going to the bench often and is likely to use a variety of combinations, depending on the opponent.

Doug McDermott will be an important piece and Nikola Mirotic could be, if he finally blossoms into a consistent star. Michael Carter-Williams, rookie Denzel Valentine and Isaiah Canaan figure to get minutes and none of the five players mentioned are a true big man, so Bobby Portis and Cristiano Felicio also are in the rotation mix.

Already, that's 12 guys with a chance to play significant minutes. Button-pushing will be one of Hoiberg's most important skills in his second season.

During preseason, McDermott has been letting it fly from 3-point range any time he has a sliver of open space. Expect that to continue all season.

"Doug, in our opinion, is one of the best shooters in the league and he had a green light last year," Hoiberg said. "Our guys understand that. We have added some new things for Doug when he's got a particular matchup or when he gets it going with his shot. Yeah, we want Doug shooting."

Mirotic has been a frustrating x-factor. Hoiberg keeps mentioning how well the former Real Madrid star has shot the ball in practice, but he was more down than up in preseason.

Carter-Williams has been with the team for nine days and is still learning the plays. Valentine was out of practice for three weeks with a sprained left ankle.

Maybe the most predictable thing about the Bulls is they won't start fast out of the gate. There are too many unknowns, too many candidates for playing time and too many November road games to expect anything else.

"The thing I love about them is how competitive they are," Hoiberg said. "They've been out there battling against each other for a month now and they're ready to go out there and throw it out into a real game setting

" We'll continue to feel each other out … but I am confident that we'll go out and fight, go out and play physical basketball and play for each other, and I'm excited about that."

• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.

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Scouting report

Bulls vs. Boston Celtics at the United Center, 7 p.m.

TV: TNT

Radio: WLS 890-AM

Outlook: The Celtics (48-34 last year) opened the season at home against Brooklyn on Wednesday, so this will be the second look at free-agent addition Al Horford, who spent the first nine years of his career in Atlanta. Otherwise, Boston's lineup is much the same as last year, with top scorer Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley in the backcourt, along with Jimmy Butler's former Marquette teammate Jae Crowder at small forward. Center Kelly Olynyk (shoulder) and PG Marcus Smart (ankle) are not expected to play. Third overall draft pick Jaylen Brown did well in the preseason and should get some minutes. The Bulls went 1-2 against the Celtics last season, winning the lone game at the UC.

Next: Indiana Pacers at the United Center, 7 p.m. Saturday

- Mike McGraw

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