Welcome Back: Bulls sign Henri Drell to camp contract |
With the NFL Regular season officially underway and the MLB playoff race in full swing, the NHL and NBA are often lost in the mix during this time of year. However, with NBA training camp set to begin in roughly two weeks, it is time to start looking at this upcoming season, which will be an interesting one for the Bulls.
While most of their roster is set in stone and has been for quite some time, the Bulls do have several spots to fill for training camp, as they can add upwards of 10 players to training camp deals. You saw two of those spots filled last week, but now it looks like three spots are filled as the Bulls have reunited with Henri Drell and have inked him to a training camp deal. The 23-year-old Estonian Native is no stranger to the Bulls organization, where he spent the past two seasons playing for their summer league team and then with the Windy City Bulls of the G League. The growth that he has made in two seasons is quite evident, as he went from playing 17 minutes per game in 2021-22 to more than 31 minutes per contest last season. Bulls fans most recently saw him in the Summer League when he averaged 7.0 PPG and 4.2 RPG. Those numbers didn't leave the organization with a great impression, but the numbers he put up during the G League season are the main reason the Bulls wanted to keep him around a bit longer. The 6-8 Drell is a G/F depending on the matchup, and has always had a knack for getting to the basket. After averaging just 5.2 PPG in his first season with Windy City, Drell more than doubled it last year as he finished the season with 11.2 PPG. He also added 5.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, and 1.2 SPG, as he did a little bit of everything on the court. Unlike the Carlik Jones of the world, who are the flashy players in the G League, Drell isn't going to wow you with athleticism. Instead, he does all the little things that coaches always talk about and isn't afraid to do the dirty work on the floor. While his scoring numbers are not that impressive, they are certainly serviceable for a bench role player, which Drell aims to accomplish in Camp this season. Not only does he have a knack for getting to the rim, but with a 47.8% FG mark, Drell has proven to be efficient enough with the ball in his hands. Although steaky from distance, his 33.3% from distance shows he can knock down a triple if given the opportunity, although they may not happen as frequently as you would like to see. With Drell getting another chance to show up in front of the Bulls coaching staff, fans may have an opportunity to see what he is all about this preseason. For a team that is not only lacking size, but also PG play, Drell is one of those tweeners at 6-8 that can do a little bit of everything for you. As you would expect from most guards, his jumper is solid, but he can also crash the glass like many bigs do. Drell has also proven he can handle a primary ball-handling role, as his handles are vastly underrated, while the defense has only improved each season. While he doesn’t have one genuinely elite skill set, there is enough there to work with at a young age, which is the main reason why the Bulls are bringing him back for an invite. Now, it is up to the coaches to put him in the right spot to unleash his full potential while he needs to give it his all in front of the Bulls organization to prove he is worth more than just a camp deal.
