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The Chicago Bulls finished up NBA Summer League play on Friday with a win against the Utah Jazz. The Bulls young core was on full display during Summer League action, and it was a glimpse into the future for fans in the Windy City. This team is trying to build a young core from the ground up, and there is some good talent to work with. Matas Buzelis had a great rookie season this past year, and his high level of play should help the Bulls achieve their goals.
Chicago just watched the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder compete for an NBA championship, and they liked what they saw from both teams. Who didn't? Both teams played a brand of fast, exciting basketball, and they did it with a lot of young pieces, especially Oklahoma City. That is exactly what the Bulls are trying to do.
“Last year, we played pretty fast. I think we can play even faster next season,” one Bulls coach said, according to a report from Spotrac. “Our roster is built for it. And you saw with Indiana and OKC in the Finals, that playing with pace is so important. We’re going to get after it on defense, force turnovers and then get out and run. That suits Matas (Buzelis) and Noa (Essengue) as our young forwards and all of our guards really well. We also think that Isaac (Okoro) will benefit in a more up-tempo style too. There’s untapped potential there.”
Noa Essengue is the latest first-round draft pick in Chicago as the Bulls selected him with the 12th overall pick this year. Bulls fans would love to see him have a rookie season like Matas Buzelis, but Essengue isn't coming to the league as NBA-ready as Buzelis did. He will likely need a year or two to reach his full potential, but if he develops like the Bulls expect him to, he should be a very valuable player down the road.
The Bulls still have a lot of work to do to achieve their vision, but it's good that the team has an idea of what they are trying to do. It has been a while since this team was a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference, so Chicago definitely needs to work quickly to gain back the support of the fan base. There is still time to make some big moves in the offseason to help speed up the process.
