Arturas Karnisovas’ mission – should he choose to accept it – is to find a way to get Scoot Henderson to wear a Chicago Bulls jersey.
I’ve had my eye on the G-League Ignite product ever since he committed to the program in 2021. The only reason it feels like more NBA executives aren’t fawning over his potential is because the best prospect since LeBron James also happens to be in the 2023 draft (*cough* Victor Wembanyama *cough*). Remove the French Anomaly from the equation, and Henderson is surely the one talked about as one of the league’s brightest stars for the next 15 years.
In a league dominated by perimeter play and talented point guards, Henderson offers a seemingly ideal blend of everything. Not only is he a high-IQ passer with a great feel for the game, but he’s a truly athletic nightmare who combines top-notch explosivity with startling shiftiness. Standing just six-foot-two, the way in which he can elevate over nearly anyone for a poster dunk is reminiscent of Derrick Rose’s heyday. And I don’t say that lightly. I mean, take a look:
Where he differs from Rose and leans more toward a player like Russell Westbrook is in the physicality department. The dude is jacked and can shake off opposing defenders with ease. Give him a full head of steam down in transition and the last thing you want to do is get in front of him. In fact, I’m pretty sure you’d spontaneously burst into confetti at the moment of impact. This strength along with a great six-foot-nine wingspan is also what helps make him an above-average defender. While there are always concerns about smaller guards at the next level, Henderson has shown the early signs of having the body, all we as the determination, to be a plus-player on that end of the floor.
If you need a good example of just how many ways he impacts the game, check out this near-triple-double performance against the Memphis Hustle:
I’m all in on the guy. His 3-point shooting is a concern, but there is room to be optimistic thanks to an efficient mid-range jumper. Not to mention, anything I read about him mentions the intangibles. He’s just a hard-working dude who sounds ready to be the face of a franchise. And I’d love nothing more than for that franchise to be the point-guard-needy Chicago Bulls. Alas …
Unless the Bulls can pull off an epic trade with the Portland Trail Blazers (who have now worked out Scoot) or Charlotte Hornets, we’ll have to wait that much longer for the Bulls to find their point guard of the future. If I had to guess, we will continue to hear some subtle rumors about the Bulls as a possible team that could trade into the lottery. LaVine in Portland could still make sense. Maybe Dallas at No. 10 wants to get frisky? But chances are the Bulls remain out of the first round and in the business of continuity. YAY!
I’ll probably dedicate a solo post to this later this week, but I think power forward is probably the best free-agent position this offseason. If the Bulls send DeMar DeRozan elsewhere and open up Patrick Williams to play the wing a bit more, there could be a couple of interesting names to target in the frontcourt. You can look at the list here.
There was a boatload of assistant coaching news this weekend. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that former Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts is headed to Milwaukee to join Adrian Griffin’s staff. And that annoys the heck out of me! Not only do I think Griffin is a solid hire, but Stotts would be a great mentor to have next to a first-year head coach on the bench.
We also got word from ESPN that former Charlotte head coach James Borrego will join Willie Green’s staff in New Orleans, while former UConn head coach Kevin Ollie will sign on with the Brooklyn Nets.
ESPN story on Kevin Ollie — 2014 NCAA title coach at UConn — agreeing to join the Nets as an assistant. https://t.co/A7IkXfqhoZ
Lastly, in the running for the main job before Frank Vogel snatched it, Phoenix is about to make highly-respected assistant Kevin Young the highest-paid assistant coach in the NBA.
ESPN story on the Suns agreeing to a $2M-plus annual deal to keep associate HC Kevin Young on Frank Vogel’s staff. Young becomes the highest paid assistant in the NBA. https://t.co/FxgCiXqIHc— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 3, 2023
So glad the Bulls decided to give their entire coaching staff extensions instead of surveying this solid coaching market! In all seriousness, while I don’t think Billy Donovan should be fired right now, it’s ridiculous that this front office didn’t leave themselves some flexibility with the staff. The fact that one sixth-place finish was enough to earn everyone some more money is why it’s so hard not to be worried about the direction of this franchise.
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