Thibodeau was asked if he appreciates having competitive battles for playing time.

"I like the fact they're playing as a team," he said. "We're asking everyone to sacrifice and put the team first, so we have quality depth.

"Some nights guys will play a little more than others, but they're all sharing and they're all going to have to sacrifice, and that's what's important for our team."

Hinrich has been on the floor during crunchtime for most of the season and has long been one of the team's best defenders.

But the Bulls have made a drastic shift to a high-scoring team. As of Friday morning, they ranked eighth in the league in points per game at 103.4.

Last season they were last in offense.

"As you wind down, it's situational," Thibodeau said of the closing lineup. "A lot of it is what's going on in the game: Do you have a lead? Are you trying to protect the lead? Do you need more scoring? Hopefully you have that answer on the bench.

"The big thing is everyone is sacrificing for the team. You have to put the team first. Whatever gives us our best chance of winning, that's what we're going to do."

Thibodeau has proved he's willing to shuffle the fourth-quarter lineup and leave high-priced players on the bench.

As it stands, a healthy Rose and Butler are the only guys certain to be on the floor in crunchtime. Noah, Gasol, Gibson, Mirotic, Hinrich, Brooks and Mike Dunleavy are all strong candidates for the other three spots.

"You have a pretty good idea of who you're going to finish with," Thibodeau said. "But that can change if guys are performing well.

"The big thing is it's not an individual thing. It's how the group is performing. We look at everything."