Bye bye, so long and farewell;
Even when it looked like the Bulls were beginning to gel.
So see you in September;
See you then that NBA Summer League is through.
The Bulls had a 3-2 good time;
Even if they didn’t remind anyone of Showtime.
So they’ll see you in September;
When they’ll also be ready to reduce the Heat to an ember.
— Original lyrics 1959 Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards; update Sam Smith 2023
Bulls Summer League 2023 concluded Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas with a Bulls 90-85 win over the Washington Wizards summer schoolers.
Javon Freeman-Liberty again led the way for the Bulls, this time with 24 points and a clutch three-pointer with 1:06 left in the game for an 80-76 Bulls lead. He added a couple of free throws and a pass for an Adama Sanogo slam dunk against desperation Wizards pressure in the closing seconds.
Dalen Terry had his best game of the five with 20 points and four of five threes including a rebound and clever long pass to a court-running Sanogo for anther dunk following the three by Freeman-Liberty. That gave the Bulls the required breathing room to finish with a 3-2 record.
Summer League will conclude Monday with a title game. The Bulls were previously disqualified with a second loss.
Sanogo had 15 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes. Rookie Julian Phillips started and had five points and two rebounds in 22 minutes. Brazilian point guard Yago Dos Santos off the bench had 13 points and three of four threes.
And so the next time we’ll see the Bulls will be the opening of NBA training camps September 27.
Here’s a look at who might be, should or could be around based on the Summer League experience and my view of the blend of performance and the needs of the Bulls varsity.
1. Nate Darling
He had his poorest game of the tournament Saturday with four points in 18 minutes and zero for four on three-pointers. That dropped his three-point average for the five games to 32.4% after it mostly hovered close to 40% earlier. He was 39% in the G League this season. The Bulls guards rarely seemed to look for him or run any actions for him. But he fits the Bulls greatest need of a classic catch-and-shoot long distance shooter in the model of players like Cavs free agent addition Max Strus, Miami’s Duncan Robinson and Luke Kennard of Memphis.
The Bulls, according to basketball chief Artūras Karnišovas speaking on a Summer League broadcast, added free agent shooting in guard Jevon Carter and forward Torrey Craig. Neither are high volume stand still shooters, though they shoot well from three and are top defenders. The 6-foot-6 Darling from Canada fits the offensive profile the Bulls lack with size, a pure shooting stroke with a quick release and an ability to score off the dribble. He finished Summer League averaging 11.2 points despite the offense mostly operating through Dalen Terry and Freeman-Liberty.
2. Dalen Terry
This Summer League for the Bulls was primarily directed toward the development of Terry and to help the judgment of where the 2022 first round draft pick fits on the roster; and if in the regular playing rotation. With his highlight game Saturday, Terry finished Summer League second to Freeman-Liberty in scoring at 12.6 with both averaging just under 30 minutes per game. After shooting below 30% in the first four games, the final game pushed Terry to 33.8% overall and 34.8% on threes. He averaged five rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals.
Terry was a mixed bag with the ball as he had difficulty finishing, but he passed well off the dribble in the lane. His defense was the best among the players by playing the lanes and disrupting ballhandlers. He shot reasonably well if left alone to square up, but had problems when challenged by rushing his shots. He did, however, make a case for the rotation, at least the way it lines up for the Bulls now. Though there are roster spots still open.
Point guard: Coby White and Jevon Carter
Shooting guard: Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso
Small forward: DeMar DeRozan
Power forward: Patrick Williams, Craig and Julian Phillips
Center: Nikola Vučević and Andre Drummond
That doesn’t account for Ayo Dosunmu and Javonte Green. The Bulls have some salary cap exceptions, and there are free agents still available who could fit given the team’s lack of height like Christian Wood, Kelly Oubre, T.J. Warren, Markieff Morris and Frank Kaminsky. Or a player with a year left for the injury exception like Kelly Olynyk, though his salary might be just a bit too much to fit.
It seems like there could be an opening as a backup small forward that might fit Terry. He could be a defensive presence to follow DeRozan, someone who could help change the pace and tempo of the game and combine with Caruso and the new arrivals for the sort of defensive pressure that Bulls coach Billy Donovan prefers because the Bulls often are left to make so many difficult shots for scores.
3. Javon Freeman-Liberty
He was by far the best player on the Bulls Summer League team. No one really was even close. He averaged 21.2 points in a team-high 27.9 minutes and made the most clutch shots. He shot 49.3% overall and a brilliant 46.2% shooting from three-point territory. He was in the top 10 among all Summer League players in scoring and shooting for those attempting at least five threes a game. His analytical rating was top five. The DePaul and Windy City product ran the team with poise and aplomb, but probably faces that dreaded numbers game with the Bulls.
Remember, they also have G League MVP Carlik Jones coming to training camp. Jones was hurt and couldn’t play in Summer League. Freeman-Liberty supported Jones for Windy City. Plus, the Bulls just added Carter and resigned White and have Caruso and still to be determined Dosunmu. Perhaps Jones and Freeman-Liberty compete for a roster spot in training camp. Perhaps Freeman-Liberty has opened some eyes in the basketball world since he is tough, can make a shot and run a team, which is the kind of player the Bulls most seemed to be missing last season with Lonzo Ball out. Maybe Freeman-Liberty, a popular player from Whitney Young High School, makes it difficult for the Bulls; a good problem to have.
4. Julian Phillips
The rookie second round pick sat out the first game to settle contract issues and then averaged 8.8 points in 23.8 minutes. He shot 44% on threes, but averaged just three rebounds, zero assists and less than a block.
He seems like a prime candidate for the Windy City Bulls to develop what looks like it could be an appealing game. He showed the expected burst to the offensive boards with his advertised excellent leaping ability and a surprisingly nice shooting stroke despite questions about his three-point shooting in college. He didn’t rebound well on the defensive end, which is a concern for the Bulls given their lack of size up front. Williams had been hoping to move to small forward this season with a taller player moving in at power forward. That doesn’t seem the plan for now, though some roster decisions still have to be made. It seems like it would benefit the inexperienced Phillips to play against NBA-level competition in the G League since he doesn’t look ready for a rotation spot with a veteran team facing playoff urgency.
5. Adama Sanogo
The big man after a rough start showed promise with a clever inside game, good feet and hands and active on the offensive boards. He averaged 10.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in 18.4 minutes. He shot 65.7% after making all seven of his attempts Saturday mostly on follows and runouts. He didn't make a three pointer in the five games. His problem is his size at maybe 6-foot-9, though not a high flier. He gets position well and is strong. Which can have some success in Summer League. It’s more difficult against interior NBA players, either taller or more athletic. He appears to be a smart, hard working player who should see some development with Windy City.
The Others
Dos Santos has a nice finish to Summer League in Saturday’s win with some long threes and highlight point guard play. But for the Bulls he’s too small in what’s become a crowded position. He did shoot 44% on threes in the five games. Henri Drell from Windy City and center Jontay Porter showed flashes, but too much inconsistency. The mystery man was tough luck Justin Lewis, who was showing some nice power play inside after his ACL tear from last summer. Then he sprained his ankle early in the second game and sat out the rest of the Summer League. If he gets another chance with the Bulls, it will most likely have to start again with Windy City.
It was a good time, but this isn’t totally down time.
So at least for now, it’s just bye bye, so long and farewell.
Until that regular season bell.
See them in September.
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