Bulls 2019-2020 Season Recap: Tomas Satoransky

*65 game season

While the injury bug hit the Bulls hard throughout the season, point guard Tomas Satoransky went through his first year in Chicago pretty much unscathed. He’s the only Bulls starter from opening night to play in all 65 games during the season. He started 64 of those games, the lone exception being the final game the Bulls played this season against Cleveland as rookie Coby White replaced him in the starting lineup.

The fact that White replaced Satoransky speaks to how well the rookie played following the All-Star break. After all, White was arguably the hottest player in the league as the season went into a hiatus. During Chicago’s final nine games, White averaged 26.1 points while shooting over 43% from three. Satoransky handled the change in the lineup like a professional. "I think it's just a logical step, and you just have to respect that sometimes it happens to you as a player,” Satoransky said following the Cleveland game. “I'm just happy for him for helping us win the game. He's been balling out, so he deserves a chance."

Satoransky averaged a career-high in points, rebounds, assists, and steals this season while taking on a bigger role in Chicago after coming from Washington. But he was an inconsistent shooter as he shot below his career percentages from the field overall and from three this season. The 6-foot-7 point guard did lead the team in assists and had 14 games this year where he had 8 or more dimes. He had performances this year where he absolutely stuffed the stat sheet (see more below). With a year under his belt with his new team, Satoransky will be motivated to make sure he’s a more consistent and impactful player next season.

Satoransky scores a career-high 27 points against the Hawks.

Let's take a look at a few of Satoransky's standout performances this season:

Satoransky Stat Line: 27 points (10-13 FG), 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal

The Bulls were dominant from end-to-end and put together a complete game in this early-season matchup in Atlanta. Coming off a disappointing loss where Chicago gave up a big lead to the Lakers at home, the Bulls took out their frustrations in the first quarter by going on a 28-6 run. Satoransky came out aggressive, scoring 7 of his career-high 27 points in the opening quarter. He was also hot from distance and knocked down 4-of-5 shots from downtown.

Satoransky Stat Line: 19 points (8-11 FG), 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals

This night was all about Zach LaVine who put together one of the best performances of his career with 44 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, falling just short of his first-career triple-double. But Satoransky provided great support all-around as the team continued playing a stretch with Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., and Otto Porter Jr. all sidelined with injuries. Sato made great decisions throughout the game as he was smart with his own shot selection while also finding teammates particularly LaVine and Luke Kornet easy opportunities to finish at the rim. He was also active defensively in the passing lanes, collecting 3 steals as the Bulls won the turnover battle 21-9.

Satoransky Stat Line: 15 points (6-10 FG, 5-6 3PT), 13 assists, 4 steals

The best pass to make on the floor is usually the right one, not necessarily the flashy ones. Sato consistently found teammates throughout the night and racked up 13 dimes on this night. Sato did a great job of being decisive with the ball and playing within himself - he also no turnovers. He played well against his former team during the whole season: in four games against Washington this season, Satoransky averaged 17.3 points on 59.5% shooting, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals.