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Bulls Head Coach Tiago Splitter speaks. Credit: Gavin Dorsey.
The goal of any sport, of course, is to win the game. And in basketball--and most sports--the easiest way to create a team that stacks wins is maximizing your defensive and offensive efficiency. Last season, the Chicago Bullsfinished 25th (112.1) in Offensive Rating and 22nd in Defensive Rating. I believe one of the simpler ways they can aid their offense and defense next season is starting Jalen Smith at the center position.
Smith's skill-set is more important next to No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson than the average fan is realizing.
Chicago has cobbled together an intriguing, yet lackluster, center rotation over the past several seasons.
A position that was once held down by high-minute totals for Nikola Vucevic eventually folded into a Zach Collins/Jalen Smith duo. That eventually became a Guerschon Yabusele/Nick Richards/Smith trio, with the injury issues of Collins taking him out of the picture.
Now Chicago heads into next season with the aforementioned Collins and Smith, and offseason addition and presumed starter Nic Claxton as the center rotation. The reason I believe Smith should start over Claxton is mainly concerned with the offensive side of the floor.
Claxton--who is the likely stater simply because of his big money contract, though that does not have to be the case--is a solid rim-runner and shot-blocker. Claxton has seen his game fall off a bit the past few seasons as he has dealt with nagging back injuries and a team focused on stacking losses in the Brooklyn Nets.
Over the 2025-26 season, Claxton shot 71.4% at the rim per Basketball-Reference as compared to 72.2% at the rim for Smith.
While Claxton is a strong finisher around the basket, he brings nothing in terms of floor spacing. Claxton took 19 total 3-pointers last season, has never taken more than 21 total 3-pointers in a season or shot above 24% from 3-point range.
Claxton has played with some extremely varied Brooklyn Nets teams. He is no stranger to finding his fit in an offense that lacks floor spacing. But with all of that being said, it's easy to see Claxton clogging up the lane on offense. Every big man doesn't need to have a skill-set that allows them to pop out to the 3-point line, but that skill-set does help everything fall into place nicely.
Smith is a natural floor-spacing big. He finished 6th on the Bulls in total 3-point attempts (220), and ninth in 3-point percentage (37.3%). The fact that Smith can capably roll or pop after setting a pick makes him a much more sensible fit in the presumed starting five.
In a lineup that figures to feature Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson, Smith would be a perfect compliment. Smith's 3-point shooting theoretically permits more space for drives from the other four players on the floor. With slashing to the rim being a key part of Wilson and Buzelis' game, it only makes sense to start a center who maximizes their skill-set.
With Jalen Smith's floor-spacing ability clearly separating him from Claxton, the defensive side of the ball or finances would be the main reason to start Claxton.
I simply don't believe in starting a player over another just because one makes more money, but understand that it is a possibility. Claxton is finishing up a 4-year, $90 million deal, while Smith is finishing up a 3-year, $27 million pact.
Last season Claxton finished with a 3.7% block rate compared to a 3.3% block rate for Smith. The Defensive Box +/- difference was negligible as well with Claxton at 0.6 DBPM and Smith at -0.9 DBPM for last season.
We still have a full training camp and NBA preseason to evaluate, but Smith appears to be the cleanest fit at center in the starting unit. He has familiarity with Buzelis, Giddey and the returning players, as well as the 3-point shooting ability to space the floor for Caleb Wilson. Claxton is the shiny, new toy, but starting him would be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Continue reading...
The goal of any sport, of course, is to win the game. And in basketball--and most sports--the easiest way to create a team that stacks wins is maximizing your defensive and offensive efficiency. Last season, the Chicago Bullsfinished 25th (112.1) in Offensive Rating and 22nd in Defensive Rating. I believe one of the simpler ways they can aid their offense and defense next season is starting Jalen Smith at the center position.
Smith's skill-set is more important next to No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson than the average fan is realizing.
Chicago has cobbled together an intriguing, yet lackluster, center rotation over the past several seasons.
A position that was once held down by high-minute totals for Nikola Vucevic eventually folded into a Zach Collins/Jalen Smith duo. That eventually became a Guerschon Yabusele/Nick Richards/Smith trio, with the injury issues of Collins taking him out of the picture.
Now Chicago heads into next season with the aforementioned Collins and Smith, and offseason addition and presumed starter Nic Claxton as the center rotation. The reason I believe Smith should start over Claxton is mainly concerned with the offensive side of the floor.
Claxton--who is the likely stater simply because of his big money contract, though that does not have to be the case--is a solid rim-runner and shot-blocker. Claxton has seen his game fall off a bit the past few seasons as he has dealt with nagging back injuries and a team focused on stacking losses in the Brooklyn Nets.
Over the 2025-26 season, Claxton shot 71.4% at the rim per Basketball-Reference as compared to 72.2% at the rim for Smith.
While Claxton is a strong finisher around the basket, he brings nothing in terms of floor spacing. Claxton took 19 total 3-pointers last season, has never taken more than 21 total 3-pointers in a season or shot above 24% from 3-point range.
Claxton has played with some extremely varied Brooklyn Nets teams. He is no stranger to finding his fit in an offense that lacks floor spacing. But with all of that being said, it's easy to see Claxton clogging up the lane on offense. Every big man doesn't need to have a skill-set that allows them to pop out to the 3-point line, but that skill-set does help everything fall into place nicely.
Smith is a natural floor-spacing big. He finished 6th on the Bulls in total 3-point attempts (220), and ninth in 3-point percentage (37.3%). The fact that Smith can capably roll or pop after setting a pick makes him a much more sensible fit in the presumed starting five.
In a lineup that figures to feature Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson, Smith would be a perfect compliment. Smith's 3-point shooting theoretically permits more space for drives from the other four players on the floor. With slashing to the rim being a key part of Wilson and Buzelis' game, it only makes sense to start a center who maximizes their skill-set.
With Jalen Smith's floor-spacing ability clearly separating him from Claxton, the defensive side of the ball or finances would be the main reason to start Claxton.
I simply don't believe in starting a player over another just because one makes more money, but understand that it is a possibility. Claxton is finishing up a 4-year, $90 million deal, while Smith is finishing up a 3-year, $27 million pact.
Last season Claxton finished with a 3.7% block rate compared to a 3.3% block rate for Smith. The Defensive Box +/- difference was negligible as well with Claxton at 0.6 DBPM and Smith at -0.9 DBPM for last season.
We still have a full training camp and NBA preseason to evaluate, but Smith appears to be the cleanest fit at center in the starting unit. He has familiarity with Buzelis, Giddey and the returning players, as well as the 3-point shooting ability to space the floor for Caleb Wilson. Claxton is the shiny, new toy, but starting him would be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Continue reading...
