NEWSLETTER
With the Chicago Bulls down multiple players against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, Onuralp Bitim heard his name called.
The Turkish standout checked in at the 7:19 mark of the second quarter. It marked just his third appearance of the season, as well as his first real taste of NBA minutes. While the Bulls’ had a few issues with their spacing during his first rotational run, he was part of a much-needed burst of energy for the team. He even helped cut what was once a double-digit Cavaliers’ lead down to just one possession with a smooth 3-pointer from the corner.
The catch-and-shoot make was Bitim’s first-ever NBA points. Check it out here:
Bitim would grab 2 rebounds to go along with his one-made bucket in his first 6 minutes of action. The stint also comes less than a week after Bitim saw his two-way contract converted to a standard NBA deal. This filled the Chicago Bulls’ last remaining full-time roster spot and opened an additional two-way contract slot, which they quickly used on G-League sharpshooter Andrew Funk.
All things considered, the decision to use their final roster spot on Bitim – as opposed to a buyout candidate remains – a headscratcher. Not only could they have played him on a two-way deal and pursued a buyout candidate, but adding the inexperienced player didn’t seem to align with the front office’s desire to push for the playoffs.
Regardless, the Bulls might as well see what they have in the 24-year-old shooter now that he is an official member of the squad. So let’s hope we continue to see some legitimate minutes for Bitim over this final month and a half of the season.
