The frontcourt insurance has arrived.
In the wake of Nikola Vucevic entering the league’s health and safety protocols, the Chicago Bulls have recalled 2020 No. 44-overall pick Marko Simonovic from the G-League.
ROSTER UPDATE: We have recalled C Marko Simonovic (@msimonovic99) from the @windycitybulls. pic.twitter.com/vgbopeB4Dm
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 11, 2021
Simonovic was recently sent to join the Windy City Bulls on October 25th ahead of the team’s training camp. He has since been on their roster and held a spot in the starting lineup, appearing in all three games the team has played. Over those three contests, Simonovic passed the 20-point threshold twice after recording just 4 points in the season over. He has also hauled in an average of 8.0 rebounds per game, including 3.0 offensive rebounds a night.
Still, while the big man has now gotten some valuable NBA experience under his belt, it’s hard to imagine he sees the floor much during Nikola Vucevic’s absence. His addition to the roster feels like nothing more than assuring the team has the necessary frontcourt depth in case of foul trouble or another injury. Moving backup center Tony Bradley into the starting lineup and playing a small-ball game with Alize Johnson as the primary backup feels like the more plausible path for head coach Billy Donovan to take. Not only has Donovan already had to embrace playing small with the absence of starting power forward Patrick Williams, but it’s something he experimented with to begin the season with Johnson ahead of Bradley in the rotation.
More on Simonovic’s time in the G-League below:
Don’t Forget, Marko Simonovic is Hard at Work in the G-Leaguehttps://t.co/B5Kd4ZT7Xz
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) November 8, 2021