NEWSLETTER
Happy 4th of July eve.
If you need me, I’ll be scrambling with everyone else to stock up on brat buns and beer!
- The Midrange Maestro composed a summer hit earlier this week. In his most recent appearance in the Drew League – a long-running Pro-AM basketball league – DeRozan led his team to victory with 39 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists. While the competition isn’t nearly what he sees at the NBA level, I think it’s fair to say DeRozan still looked to be in midseason form:
- Fueled by pump fakes, expert footwork, and clean ball-handling, he’s easily one of the most artful scorers in the league, which is a big reason why I was so dumbfounded by the reception of his initial signing with the Bulls one summer ago. While I could always understand questions about fit, I never understand the questions about his aging game.
- He’s a player who’s averaged at least 20.0 points per game in nine-straight seasons. DeRozan’s scoring efficiency has only improved with age, as has his ability to use that scoring to create better opportunities for his teammates. No, I don’t at all expect the DeRozan we saw last season to show up again. But the more I watch him get to his spots and finish in space, the more I believe the Bulls will continue to have a reliable secondary scorer for years to come.
- Summer League training camp is in full swing at the Advocate Center, and rookie Dalen Terry has already made his presence felt. Bulls assistant and Summer League head coach John Bryant told reporters after Friday’s first official practice that Terry was voted Most Competitive by his teammates. Even better, the player who first spoke up to nominate Terry was Patrick Williams, who Terry said he battled with throughout this first set of scrimmages and drills.
- Terry spoke highly of a number of teammates after practice on Friday, calling out guys like Williams and Malcolm Hill for immediately setting the tone in the practice gym. He said he plans to lean on those players throughout this Summer League process, which will officially begin on July 8th in Las Vegas. You can check out Terry’s full interview below:
- Speaking of Patrick Williams, it sounds like a flip may have switched for the third-year forward.
โPatrick looks like a man,” Bryant said after practice. “He looks like a third-year player. He stands out. His body is NBA-ready. He just looks like a grown man โฆ There is a sense of โI belong here; I am a third-year player.โ And he carries himself as such.โ
- Whether that comes with age or a summer with DeMar DeRozan, these are the little things we want to hear ahead of a highly-anticipated season for Williams. His willingness to put in the extra work also seems to be on full display with his mere presence at Summer League training camp. The 20-year-old isn’t expected to participate in any games over the next couple of weeks, so it’s nice to know he’s back in Chicago simply to show these NBA newbies the ropes.
- All this extra work should come in handy immediately when the season begins. With the Bulls yet to make a move to significantly bolster their power forward depth, it suggests they are ready to put plenty of pressure on Patrick Williams’ shoulders. Year 3 needs to be the season where we see him take a sizable leap in the right direction – both in terms of health and two-way production. I do think he’s capable of doing just that (and clearly the Bulls do too), but the time he missed last season does concern me. Missing basically your entire second year in the league will surely stunt development, so let’s hope he’s able to play catch-up this offseason.
- I’m sure there has been no lack of offers for Kevin Durant, but whether or not they are up to the Nets’ standard remains a big question:
- I could see this dragging on for quite a while. Brooklyn has the right to demand arguably the largest trade haul in NBA history, and I have to imagine certain franchises are hesitant to blow their roster up that significantly, especially when the goal is to win instantly with Durant.
- Scottie Pippen’s son is getting buckets for the Lakers right now. Weird.
- More missed time for Alec Mills.
