The Chicago Bulls may have lost 121-105 to the now .500 Houston Rockets, but moral victories are, in fact, not just for minor league coaches.

Lauri Markkanen made his season debut, and while he still played like a player recovering from an elbow injury, his ten points and four rebounds in 26 minutes were enough for Bulls fans to feel confident in the young team moving forward.

“Just glad to be out there,” Lauri Markkanen said in a Dec. 2 NBA.com article. “I missed some easy shots, but I think I played some decent defense, and that’s where I tried to make an impact. I’m not worried about my shots. I just have to get my legs back.”

Markkanen had the pick and roll working with leading scorer Zach Lavine and his presence benefitted small forward Jabari Parker greatly. Lavine dropped 29 points on a solid 11-17 shooting, while Parker went 8-15, unusually good efficiency for the Bulls’ chuck-to-tank offense.

The bottom line is the Bulls don’t look good. They look young, out of step and occasionally incompetent. But they are the type of incompetent that can improve with experience. Young talent like Ryan Arcidiacono and Antonio Blakeney are impressing in the same way Robert Covington did when the Philadelphia 76ers were trusting the process. These two are G-league talents who entered the professional ranks with little expectation, but Arcidiacono has been reminiscent of Bulls legend Kirk Hinrich and Blakeney is a streaky scorer who can put up quick points in a limited role.

Arcidiacono’s contributions don’t appear on the stat sheet: A point guard who puts up eight points, four assists and two rebounds per game doesn’t pop off the stat sheet, but his penchant for shutting down opposing point guards in big moments makes him a valuable piece for the future.

The pieces that were expected to contribute are contributing, but the Bulls are outgunned and unhealthy. Wendell Carter, Jr. is a rookie of the year candidate so far in the young season, putting together 11 points and 8 rebounds per game and occasionally going off for 20 points in big games. His defensive prowess at just 19-years-old is impressive, and his scoring is coming along nicely.

Fellow first-round pick Chandler Hutchison defends and knocks down open shots when needed, fitting the Luol Deng/Jimmy Butler mold the Bulls have lacked in recent seasons. While Hutchison shows promise, he isn’t prepared for a full NBA workload. He only sees the floor because of injuries to small forward Denzel Valentine, power forward Bobby Portis, and guard Kris Dunn.

Hutchison is useful in his versatility, but he needs more time and more work at the professional level.

There are bright spots, but the Bulls are still in rough shape 24 games into the season. The team might improve with players returning from injury, but they are too far behind the eight-ball to get back in the playoff race.