The Chicago Bulls tip off their 2020-21 season against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night at the United Center, their first meaningful game since March.

The franchise has been through a whirlwind of changes since then, including revamping their front office with new executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley and hiring a new coach in Billy Donovan to give the organization the feeling that it’s headed in the right direction after the rebuild became stagnant.

Despite those changes, the Bulls return just about the same roster as the one that last took the floor nine months ago. They might be shaping up to be a more fun, more watchable and more interesting team — even though it’s unclear how quickly that will translate to winning.

Here are a few questions about the Bulls to keep an eye on this season.

Where does the playmaking come from?

Coby White and Zach LaVine are going to make a dynamic backcourt pairing. And with their scoring ability, the duo could be one of the most fun and prolific duos in the league on certain nights. Both are talented scorers with the ability to get their own shot all the time. Creating shots for others, however, is not something that comes natural to either.

LaVine can be prone to turnovers and did not do well when asked to be the Bulls primary playmaker last season. But the Bulls did not add another primary point guard, instead turning over the keys of the offense to White in his second season. White still is young, so he certainly is capable of growing and developing into more of a pure point guard. He showed during the preseason he will look to get teammates involved, but he struggles when he has to go beyond his initial first or second reads. Both members of the Bulls starting frontcourt need someone to help them get the ball in the right spot.

Coach Billy Donovan has emphasized that players are going to have to move and work together to create shots for each other, but where the bulk of that comes from is going to be a huge question mark.

How much can Carter Jr. contribute on offense?

A potential breakout from Carter was one of the biggest storylines at the start of camp, with a plan to get him more involved in the offense, take advantage of his skills as a passer and, of course, allow him to shoot 3-pointers. His performance in the preseason (including 1-for-16 from beyond the arc) has at least quelled that hype for now.

Carter never was going to show up as a refined offensive player overnight. He was an afterthought in the Bulls offense the last two seasons, never involved in much other than setting screens or cleaning up misses in the paint. The Bulls are asking for significantly more out of him and despite some struggles,Donovan has continued to express confidence that Cartercan handle it.

Can Markkanen ‘prove it’?

Despite both sides sayingthey had interest in a long-term union at the start of training camp, the Bulls and Markkanen were not able to come to terms on a contract extension before the season. That puts him on the last year of his contract and headed toward restricted free agency after the season.

Waiting to reach an extension could prove beneficial for both sides. The Bulls are hopeful an extra year will help ease the uncertainty surrounding Markkanen, whose production regressed in his third season. Markkanen, meanwhile, could set himself up for a big payday if he can have a bounce-back season with improved health and a change in coaching style and offensive philosophy.

How much is a coaching bump really worth?

The Bulls should receive an upgrade this season. Donovan comes in as one of the most well-regarded coaches in the league with five playoff appearances in five tries at Oklahoma City, where he regularly exceeded regular-season expectations. Players love playing for him. The first glimpse of his Bulls offense looked, at least, much less congested than last season and the team should benefit from some creativity.