NEWSLETTER
Wow, the NBA threw a bunch of news at us yesterday. If you missed anything, make sure to go to the BN Bulls page and check out the latest (#shamelessplug).
• I’M HUNGRY, BULLS. FEED ME. While I’m thankful for the 24 minutes of scrimmage action we got yesterday, I’m desperate for more. With a new front office and new coaching staff on the horizon, I’m ready to see these players re-energized and re-focused. And, for the most part, that’s the vibe I got watching yesterday’s action. I’m not ready to make any predictions based on what we saw, but I do think there are some overarching takeaways. The first of which is the general ball movement. I think a willingness to share the basketball is far more common in a practice environment than in a legitimate game setting, but this is an area that both Arturas Karnisovas and Billy Donovan reportedly like to stress.
• Somewhat related to that was the fact that we saw some solid spacing on the offensive end. Both big men, Wendell Carter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen were spread out across the court, and we even saw a 3-point attempt from Carter Jr. (which, in my opinion, is a very encouraging sign). Also, I think this spacing is what helped create some strong cuts to the basket. Specifically, we saw Chandler Hutchison do this a couple times.
Hutch is FLYING @CmoHutchison
Full Scrimmage ➡️ https://t.co/t5rz0kJUvt pic.twitter.com/kvuS3NBu9B
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 16, 2020
• Let me preface what I’m about to say with the following: Hutchison hasn’t proven to be worth the 22nd pick the Bulls used in 2018, and it’s certainly possible he doesn’t play any significant role for the team this upcoming season. With that said, the guy showed some nice flashes in this scrimmage as well as several times last season. Also, despite his health issues, Hutchison remains one of the teams more athletic players. I could pretty easily see him being a quality role player off the bench for the Bulls next season, especially under a solid player-development coach like Billy Donovan. The 24-year-old does his best work around the rim, whether it be flying in for rebounds or driving/cutting toward the hoop. I expect someone like Donovan to recognize this and put him in a better position to succeed. We’ve seen what the former-OKC head coach can do with guys like Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, and Hamidou Diallo – he knows how to turn confusing talent into quality role players. If Hutchison could stay healthy, I think there is an avenue for him to become the next Donovan success story.
• Another obvious observation … the defense was weak, especially along the perimeter. I’m not surprised to see this at all considering it’s a scrimmage, but I’d hope that Donovan’s presence can bring a bit more defensive intensity into the practice setting. After all, we know how much some of these players need to improve on that end.
• The good news is that Coby White took full advantage of these defensive lapses. The kid drained two game-winners and looked like the best player on the court. In case you missed the highlights, make sure to check out our post from yesterday:
Coby White Messed Around Today and Hit Two Game-Winners in Bulls Scrimmage (VIDEO)https://t.co/6FhatdtdRG
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) October 16, 2020
• The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry also wrote a good piece about White’s role moving forward. I think he and I both agree that the second-year player is on his way to becoming this team’s lead guard.
• At the end of the day, it’s hard to predict how the roles will fall into place on this team. I know we can pretty easily imagine the starting lineup for next season, but we have no idea how long the lineup will stay that way under this new front office. Not to mention, the team will have a new lottery pick added to the mix in just a couple of months, and I’m sure it will be a priority to get this player immediately involved. ESPN recently shared a great post with some prospect updates and draft rumors. The Bulls weren’t specifically mentioned, but the article does talk about several player that are in the Bulls range. Give it a read.
• lol well that was fast.
Issa no for me https://t.co/WoiLWe6pUu
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) October 16, 2020
• Zach LaVine dunks >>>>>> these dunks
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1317107863752478720?s=20
