There are a few months left in the season, but Chicago Bulls fans can get their first taste of the 2022-23 team on Friday, when the Bulls begin play in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
The tournament started with two games on Thursday and will go on till July 17. A Bulls team consisting mostly of rookies – including first-round draft pick Dylan Terry – and second-year players will face the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors and Charlotte. Hornet in the first round.
Here are five storylines to track throughout the summer league.
1. Jon Bryant’s Head Coaching Debut
For the first time in the Summer League, assistant coach Jon Bryant will lead the Bulls. After two seasons in Chicago focused mostly on working with centers and forwards, Bryant received permission from Bulls coach Billy Donovan to guide this summer’s group of young players.
Bryant will be inspired by the memory of his father, John, who died last year after battling COVID-19.
“I know he would be proud of me,” Bryant said. “I’m trying to do it in the best way I can every day. When I played, it was like: ‘Hustle. Try your best. Do it with all your might. Work hard.’ And I’m trying to do that to be a reflection of not only our players and our staff but what he’s taught me to do. I know he’s smiling.”
Read more here.
2. Dalan Terry’s First Outing as Bull
After the Bulls selected him with the number 18 pick, Terry would get his first chance to prove himself against fellow NBA players. With Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams not competing in Summer League games this year, Terry’s performance will be the most important for the Bulls to track.
Terry is working on his shooting and fitness this summer to make the leap to the NBA. It’s unclear how many minutes he can expect as a rookie, but the Summer League will provide a beneficial challenge to see how he shapes up against the pros.
3. Marko Simonovic is fighting for minutes
A second-round pick in the 2020 draft, Simonovic struggled to crack the Bulls’ rotation as a rookie. He appeared in only nine games, averaging 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in garbage time. But his performance in the G League for the Windy City Bulls – he averaged 17 points and 9.9 rebounds in 28 games – fueled optimism about his future potential.
The 6-foot-11 Simonovich packed on 25 pounds in his rookie season and is focusing on strength to prepare for his second season this summer. It won’t be a make or break, but his performance in the Summer League could help the Bulls determine if youth center is ready to play a bigger role behind Nikola Vusevic and newly acquired backup Andre Drummond. Read more here.
4. Capricorn Maker Takes Another Step Toward the NBA
Maker became the highest-ranked modern-era recruit to sign with a historically black college or university after a unanimous five-star pick Howard was picked in 2020, but suffered a groin injury in two games into his freshman season. His college career was cut short after facing
6-11 Maker withdrew from the 2021 draft and spent the previous season playing with Sydney Kings in Australia. After going without a draft last month, he is making another bid to reach the NBA as a Summer League player with the Bulls.
5. Ex-college stars vying for the contract
The Summer League roster is full of former college standouts hoping to impress in Las Vegas and earn G League or rookie contracts.
Coming off the bench as a freshman at Marquette, Justin Lewis averaged 16.8 points in his second season. Bryant said Lewis impressed the Bulls coaching staff with his energy and competitiveness in his first practice before the Summer League.
Javan Freeman-Liberty averaged 21.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists as a senior at DePaul last season. A Chicago native and young bachelor, Freeman-Liberty moved to DePaul in 2020 in Valparaíso after two years. He was mentored by his uncle, “Flynn’ Illini” legend and former NBA player Marcus Liberty.
Schedule
- Friday: Dallas Mavericks, 3 p.m., ESPNU
- Sunday: New York Knicks, 4 p.m., ESPN2
- Tuesday: Toronto Raptors, 4 p.m., NBATV
- Thursday: Charlotte Hornets, 5 p.m., ESPN 2
roster
guard/wing
- No. 9, Ethan Thompson, Rookie (Oregon State)
- No. 21, Malcolm Hill, Second Year
- No. 25, Dalan Terry, Rookie (Arizona)
- No. 26, Carlick Jones, Year II
- No. 50, Jevon Freeman-Liberty, Rookie (DePaul)
- No. 55, Justin Wright-Foreman, second year
- Number 72, Perion Colandrate, Rookie (Idaho)
- No. 95, Sindarius Thornwell, Fourth Year
center / forward
- No. 19, Marko Simonovic, 2nd year
- No. 34, Justin Lewis, Rookie (Marquette)
- No. 76, Akoldah Gak, Cheater (Illwara)
- No. 83, Henry Dale, Rookie (Estonia)
- Number 99, Capricorn Maker, Cheater (Howard)
,
