Defense leads the way in Bulls Summer League win |
LAS VEGAS - Although the official start of the NBA season isn't until October, basketball is officially back. At least temporarily back as the 2023 NBA Summer League kicked off the Chicago Bulls in Las Vegas.
Regarding the Bulls and their upcoming season, the front office has elected to go with a run-it-back approach, as their limited overall funds have prevented them from going all in during free agency. Yes, they brought in a few names thus far, but if the Bulls want to improve, it must come from within. That is why the Summer League is essential for the Bulls this season. They need some of their players to develop this season for them to turn the corner, and the next two weeks could go a long way in that. Chicago also needs to improve defensively, but after disposing of the Toronto Raptors 83-74 in the Summer League opener, the defense may not be an issue this season. When you look at the Bulls Summer League roster, the names Dalen Terry, Justin Lewis, Julian Phillips, and Adama Sonogo come to mind, as those are the critical pieces of the past two offseasons. Terry is especially one to watch as he looks to build on a solid rookie campaign in the G-League after playing sparingly as a rookie. Terry helped set the tone for the Bulls offense as he finished with 10 points and six rebounds, but it was the Nate Darling show on Friday. The second-year man out of Canada was part of the Clippers organization last season, and he opened up Summer League play with a team-high 15 points in the win. Darling knocked down three triples in the win, which will be one of the major areas the Bulls will need to improve on this season. Along with Terry and Darling, the Bulls had two other players land in double figures, including second-year man Javon Freeman-Liberty. Undrafted out of DePaul last season, Freeman-Liberty came into his own during the second half of the G-League season last and could put himself in a position to earn a bench role this season. His ability to knock down the outside shot and get in the line is crucial, as he came away with 12 points in his first game of the summer. Those three were the lone starters to come away with double-figure outputs, but the Bulls had a fourth player land in double figures, and he came off the bench. Henry Drell was that man, as he also is coming off a solid G-League showing in 2023. Drell is a big guard who can play the forward position but is very good with the ball in his hands. Drell led the bench with 10 points while coming down with six rebounds. While those four shouldered most of the load, all eyes were on the Bull's 2022 undrafted free agent pickup Justin Lewis who returned from a season-ending knee injury last year. Lewis was expected to be a solid contributor off the bench last season as his athletic ability and defensive prowess made for a future lockdown defender. Lewis may not be the most gifted offensive player, but he still came away with seven points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes. Sanogo added five points and four rebounds in his professional debut. The offense was a struggle for the Raptors all game long, but you have to credit the Bulls defense for some of that. They managed to get in the Raptors head and forced Toronto into several tough shots, which didn't go well. You still had a trio of players land in double figures, with Markwis Nowell leading all scorers with 17 points. Moses Brown added 14 points and 10 rebounds from the Center position, with Gradey Dick coming away with 10 points in the loss. The Bulls return to the floor on Saturday when they face off against the Memphis Grizzlies.
