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The Chicago Bulls unveiled their 2021 Summer League roster on Monday afternoon with a clash against the Pelicans.
After hanging around for most of the first half, New Orleans woke up late to win by a score of 94-77, underlining a disappointing defensive effort by the Summer League Bulls.
Here are four observations of the exhibition:
Patrick Williams’ Summer League debut, a story in two halves
In short, Patrick Williams’ debut in the Summer League was productive.
At first, he persisted in placing his fingerprints on the game in an offensive manner. Williams took seven shots in the first quarter, 13 in the first half and 20 at the end of the game to lead all players and easily surpass his NBA career record of 14, which he has done twice.
He scored his 15 points using floater pull-up jumpers, mid and 3-point range (even when canning a long, deep ball out of the dribble), and handing and transition finishes. He has shown skill as a pick-and-roll ball handler, drive-and-kick distributor (distributing 3 assists) and break leader after taking out one of his 12 rebounds.
Most of these highlights, however, came from the first half. In the second, he shot 0-for-7 from the field and committed more turnovers (3) than runs scored (1). In a stretch halfway through the fourth quarter, he lost the ball on a practice for a turnover, then a 3-point attempt was blocked as the Pelicans pulled away. He finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 turnovers, shooting 6 for 20 from the field and 1 for 5 at 3 points.
But the process is what matters here. The level of offensive experimentation and determination that Williams displayed was remarkable, although the results faded as the game progressed. These reps on the ball, to which Williams is no doubt still adapting, will be invaluable.
Marko Simonović made a good first impression
Simonović, the Bulls’ 44th draft pick in 2020, has had his fair share of good times. That’s about all you can ask for from the 21-year-old tall man in his first adjacent NBA action.
In 15 minutes, Simonović’s activity on the defensive glass and the fluidity of the ground in transition stood out the most. His fearlessness in the face of contact during attempts at the edge of the rim was also encouraging.
Weak spots included a thunderous dunk early in the third quarter and the lack of three slams (although he was fouled on two of them). Head coach Damian Cotter highlighted defensive communication and screen setup as areas for improvement going forward. But his performance of 13 points (4 for 6 shots), 5 rebounds, 1 steal was nevertheless promising.
Devon Dotson demands your attention
Dotson, who played last season on a two-part contract, didn’t have much luck with the Bulls in his freshman year, dividing his time between being off the bench and the G League bubble with the affiliate of the Cavaliers.
But he looked set to fight for a place in this one, scoring 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. As well as being a pesky defender on the ball, Dotson is an exceptionally fast downhill pilot, a quality he has exploited to convert a few lay-ins and charity trips. He also made one of his two deep attempts.
Quick shots
- 2021 Pelicans first round pick Trey murphy scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half, connecting on six of nine 3-point attempts for the game. He was wonderful.
- Go Dosunmu scored 6 points on a 2-for-8 shot in his debut.
- Ethan thompson posted a great shot for the Bulls, scoring 11 points off the bench and shooting 3 for 5 from behind the arc.
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