Winners, Losers from Week 2 of Chicago Bulls' NBA Preseason

The Chicago Bulls turned their preseason around this past week, winning two consecutive games to even their record at 2-2.

In the two wins, there were a few encouraging performances and, unfortunately, some undesirable showings.

Chicago's backcourt is starting to come along and settle into its own. With all the doubts about Jimmy Butler's scoring, the four-year guard looks like a brand new version of himself and could potentially turn into a fierce two-way player.

There is still a lot of work to be done offensively, but Chicago's rookies have shined in that area. Both Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott posted double-digit scoring nights against the Denver Nuggets.

Chicago turned it around this week after an 0-2 start, so let's review the players who stepped up and the ones that struggled.

Loser: Kirk Hinrich

Gary Dineen/Getty Images

Captain Kirk is exactly that: a captain. He leads by example, putting in endless amounts of effort and hustle. He doesn't shy away from physicality and is a great signal-caller on the offensive end.

Here comes the expected "but": He's no longer effective as a shooter—and really hasn't been since last season. After shooting 39 percent from downtown in 2011-12, his rate dipped to 35 percent this past year.

Kirk Hinrich shot 5-of-13 across the last two games, which is better than the 18 percent in his previous two contests, but still not close to acceptable. Sure, the Bulls aren't asking Hinrich to score 15 or 16 points off the bench, but he will become a liability if defenses start to sag off him and he's unable to knock down those perimeter looks.

It's one of the reasons Aaron Brooks has gotten so much time this preseason. Without him, the second unit would have very limited scoring in its backcourt.

For now, though, the positives outweigh the negatives.

Hinrich allows for versatility on both ends of the floor since he can defend shooting guards and can also bring the ball up the court. But if his shot continues to falter, it will be a problem for the second unit, especially at the end of games (if he's included in that lineup).

Winner: Doug McDermott

Bulls rookie McDermott had his first career start this week against the Milwaukee Bucks, filling in for an injured Mike Dunleavy. The Creighton University star also had his best performance thus far against the Denver Nuggets, scoring 16 points on 3-of-4 shooting from downtown.

McDermott showed his shooting touch and his top-notch off-ball movement, working off double-screens, curls, fades and more. He's also crashed the boards really well, grabbing 13 rebounds across both games.

The biggest highlight of McDermott's week wasn’t his shooting, though. It's that he seems comfortable with the offense and is fitting in nicely rather quickly. There's always work to be done, of course, but if Tom Thibodeau is looking for a nine-man rotation, the 22-year old could be the first rookie under Thibodeau to snag a consistent role.

McDermott is definitely a boost offensively. If he continues to shoot and use his versatility to his advantage, he could carve out a solid average of 20-25 minutes for this season.

Loser: Tony Snell

Gary Dineen/Getty Images

Speaking of rotations, Chicago's sophomore guard, Tony Snell, is likely to be the odd man out. After playing 17 minutes in an overtime match against the Detroit Pistons, Snell saw extended time against the Bucks due to Dunleavy's knee issue.

However, Snell's minutes drastically dipped against Denver, playing just five minutes and scoring his only basket of the week.

Thibodeau rarely calls players out, but Snell was a different case. After the first pair of games, the Bulls head coach said the 22-year-old needed to be more consistent. When Thibodeau says something like that, chances are you won't be winning any position battles.

Snell's three-point shooting was the reason he was drafted last year. But now, with so many new options in Brooks, McDermott, Mirotic, and returning players like Dunleavy and Derrick Rose, Snell's value has suddenly plummeted.

Given McDermott's scoring versatility and his involvement early on in the rotation, Snell will likely be a reserve this season barring any injuries.

Winner: Derrick Rose

Rose continues to look better and better every game, particularly with his jump shot and his ability to get to the line. The Bulls point guard made four of his nine three-point attempts and converted on nine of his 10 free throws.

Over the last two games, Rose scored 31 points, a big jump from just 17 during his previous two contests. His speed and explosiveness are still on full display as well, and his finishing around the rim is very encouraging.

With Team USA, Rose struggled from everywhere on the floor, but he's shown in the past couple of games he still has his deadly tear drop and acrobatic mid-air adjustments. There are times when he's missing shots near the rim, but he's drawing contact on these plays and getting whistles, something he struggled with earlier in his career.

We also saw Rose's playing time increase this week, a great sign considering he'll probably play around 30 minutes per game once the regular season tips off.

Another plus was Rose's defense. His movement on the ball has been solid, and he's playing the pick-and-roll better than before. When he does fall behind, he's been able to use his quickness to recover within a moment's notice.

There's still a bit of rust to shake off, but Rose is progressing with every game.

Loser: Mike Dunleavy

Gary Dineen/Getty Images

It's not so much that he's played poorly, because he really hasn't. In three games, he's made five of his eight three-point attempts and has cracked double digits twice.

However, it's clear that McDermott is better at this point. While Dunleavy won't necessarily lose his starting job to the rookie forward, he could end up losing a large share of minutes just because McDermott can do so much more.

Dunleavy is 34 and is still more than serviceable. But at 22, McDermott's athleticism and versatility give Chicago more firepower on the offensive end.

The 13-year vet still provides a much-needed three-point shooting need, and he's an underrated passer who now has a year under the system.

With McDermott in future plans, though, the rookie could get pushed up a bit faster than usual, especially if he's consistently performing at a high level and rapidly progressing.

It won't be instant, and it might not even be for a couple of months, but Dunleavy will lose minutes to McDermott. This preseason is an indication of that.

Winner: Jimmy Butler

The biggest winner this week is, without a doubt, Jimmy Buckets.

There has been a huge transformation in his offensive approach this preseason. And while it could be somewhat attributed to the Derrick Rose effect, there is a lot more to it than that.

Butler has strayed away from the three-point line and has been super aggressive, attacking the basket whenever possible. He looks a lot more explosive and decisive this season. And not only is he beating the defender to the basket, but he's drawing contact and finishing around the rim.

His mid-range jump shot has also improved, and he's no longer settling for long two-point attempts. Butler knows his spots, he's getting to them and he's converting at a high rate.

Butler is finally starting to come into his own offensively, learning what kind of player he should be and needs to be for Chicago. His rebounding has been spectacular as well, and his one-on-one defense and anticipation in the passing lanes is as good as ever, if not better.

Perhaps this is his way of proving he deserves an extension.