Breaking Down the Roles of Chicago Bulls Bench in 2014-15

On paper, the Chicago Bulls possess one of the league’s best benches. Each member has a role, whether it’s bringing stifling defense or lights-out shooting to the table.

Chicago’s new “Bench Mob” consists of Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich, Tony Snell, Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic, and we have to show Aaron Brooks and Cameron Bairstow some love as well.

Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah are a terrific starting five. Throw in a first-class bench, and the Bulls should be simply unstoppable this season. They’ll likely battle LeBron James and Kevin Love’s Cleveland Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed.

Let’s analyze the roles of each Bulls bench player for the 2014-15 season. What should we expect from Gibson and the rest of the reserves?

All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com.

End of the Bench

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Aaron Brooks

Over the past few years, backup point guards have flourished in Chicago. Prime examples are C.J. Watson, John Lucas III, Nate Robinson and D.J. Augustin, one of last season’s key contributors.

Aaron Brooks, who signed as a free agent this offseason, could be next in line. The 2007 first-round pick averaged 29 minutes per game last season with the Denver Nuggets, yet his time on the court should decrease dramatically in Chicago playing behind Rose and Kirk Hinrich.

Brooks gives the Bulls an insurance policy should Rose be bitten by the injury bug. His role is to provide instant offense off the bench.

If Rose does go down once again (knock on wood), Brooks could very well have an Augustin-type of campaign.      

Cameron Bairstow

The Bulls made Cameron Bairstow the 49th overall pick of this past June’s draft.

We more than likely won’t see much of him as a rookie. He’s currently buried on the depth chart behind fellow big men Noah, Gasol, Gibson and Mirotic. It would basically take a slew of injuries for him to touch the court.

When he does get into the game during “garbage” time, Bairstow’s job will be to serve as an energy and hustle guy.

Nikola Mirotic

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The Nikola Mirotic era is finally here! Bulls fans have been waiting for this since the team acquired him on draft night in 2011.

Mirotic enjoyed a sensational career overseas. He was a back-to-back winner of the Euroleague Rising Star Award (2011 and 2012), which is awarded to the league’s best player under 22 years old. Other honors include a spot on the All-Euroleague Second Team and the 2014 Spanish Cup Finals MVP. 

He has the potential to develop into an NBA star. However, it may take a while until he gets significant playing time. With power forwards Gasol and Gibson on the Bulls roster, Mirotic may be the odd man out.

If Gasol, who has battled injuries in the past, can't stay healthy, Mirotic could emerge as a key player and turn in an All-Rookie-caliber season. 

The Podgorica, Montenegro native is known as a fantastic shooter. His role is to space the floor and knock down a bunch of jumpers.

Tony Snell

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Tony Snell is coming off an up-and-down rookie year with the Bulls. Occasionally, he looked like a future star, but at other times he resembled a D-Leaguer.

However, he was impressive during this year's summer league, averaging 20 points and shooting 46.6 percent overall (50 percent from three-point land).

Snell should have a bigger role during his second season. He’ll be Jimmy Butler’s primary backup at the shooting guard position.

Speaking of Butler, he had a breakout sophomore campaign back in 2012-13; it isn’t out of the question that Snell will do the same this year. He has added muscle over the offseason and owns an improved jump shot.

Look for him to become one of Chicago’s top three-point shooters. With the likes of Rose, Noah and Gasol passing the rock, Snell will receive many open looks from the outside.

Kirk Hinrich

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It wasn’t shocking to see Kirk Hinrich re-sign with the Bulls. Due to his play on the defensive end of the floor, he’s clearly a favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau. Plus, Chicago fans have always loved him.

Hinrich started at point guard the last two years, replacing the injured Rose. His numbers last season weren’t anything to brag about (9.1 points and 3.9 assists per game). Now that Rose is healthy, though, “Captain Kirk” heads back to the bench.

Look for him to play both guard spots and contribute typical, tough Hinrich defense. Hopefully, he stays on the bench. Becoming the starter once again means D-Rose is back on the dreaded injured list. No Bulls fan wants that.

Doug McDermott

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It was no secret that the Bulls struggled to score last year. Their 93.7 points ranked dead last. So acquiring Doug McDermott, for whom they traded up on draft night, made a lot of sense.

Calling McDermott a gifted scorer is an understatement. He finished his collegiate career with 3,150 points, fifth-most in NCAA Division I history. As a senior, the Creighton star averaged 26.7 points on 52.6 percent shooting from the floor.

Even before he was drafted, the Naismith winner knew he could help the Bulls, via Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post: "I knew watching that (Bulls-Wizards playoff game) that I was the perfect fit for (Chicago), McDermott said. I think I can bring so much. With D-Rose coming back, I can play off him so well because he draws so much attention."

McDermott is expected to back up Mike Dunleavy and add scoring punch to the lineup. It's possible that he could become the starting small forward before the season comes to an end. 

Greenberg predicted Dougie McBuckets' rookie stats: "Here is a good starting point as to what Bulls fans can expect out of McDermott in year one: 11.4 points per game on 44 percent shooting (33.6 percent from three-point range) along with five rebounds, three assists and one steal per game."

That sounds pretty realistic.

Taj Gibson

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Taj Gibson was supposed to replace Carlos Boozer as the Bulls’ starting power forward, but with the arrival of Gasol he’ll remain on the bench.

Gibson is easily one of the game’s top reserves. The 6’9” big man finished second to Jamal Crawford in voting for the Sixth Man of the Year Award last season.

He’s coming off a breakout year, averaging a career-high 13 points a night. His post game and mid-range jumper have improved quite a bit, making him more of a two-way threat.

While he isn’t a starter, Gibson should receive a reasonable amount of minutes at both center and power forward. His job is to help keep Noah and Gasol fresh for the playoffs as well as contribute lockdown D and scoring punch.