PAE Roundtable: The Chicago Bulls’ Summer
Who breaks out for the Bulls this among the young guys?
MW: The Bulls may have missed the whole “more athletic” concept, but they technically got younger (despite Valentine and Grant being older young guys) this summer. Among the youth on the roster, who will be the one to break out this season?
BR: This is a cop-out, but I expect both Felicio and McDermott to have breakout seasons and they will need each other in order to do so.
Felicio showed he can really compete during his sustained run of playing time at the end of last season. He has all of the size, skill and athletic ability needed to succeed. The Brazilian just seems to have a feel for the game. Better yet, he makes decisive plays with or without the ball. He dominated in limited minutes in Vegas. After an injury to Anderson Varejao, Felicio gets to play for the Brazilian National Team in Rio. He’s poised for a coming out party in Chicago next season and he will be even better suited to do so if McDermott finds the consistent form he has been lacking.
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Bet on the third time being the charm for McDermott. Aside from shooting the ball well from deep, McDermott proved his full Creighton-era offensive repertoire is still at his disposal. He scored in a lot of ways last year, including some memorable finishes above the rim. If he can become less of a turnstile on defense, he has the ability to really pour it in for the Bulls. After a few huge games last season and his second stint with the USA Select Team, McDermott should be ready for a big season. He has one of the quickest releases in the league. He should shoot every time he has even a relatively open look next year, because the “Three Alphas” will need a lot of help spacing the floor.
MP: Doug McDermott will take the next step this year. He really turned it on at the end of last year and I expect him to have an even better year this season. Offensively he’s great, being a three-point sniper and secret posterizer. Although he is terrible on defense, I expect him to improve on that end. I also see Felicio having a great season as well.
DC: This has to be Portis. I’ve already established my doubt of Felicio and Valentine is going to be rightfully buried behind a much more developed group of players so he’s probably two years away, unless there are significant injuries or trades involving Chicago’s most recent acquisitions. If those things happen, he’ll have plenty of opportunity to show out. For now, Portis probably stands to have the biggest share of playing time and most demonstrable skill for the NBA level.
SC: Of the Bulls’ youth, I see Dougie McBuckets taking the next step in his development. Playing as a member of that 25-man U.S. Select Team this summer, McDermott gained valuable experience playing against some of the world’s best players. It also can’t hurt having one of the best coaches in NBA history coaching you this summer in Gregg Popovich, who oversaw things. After dealing with nagging injuries hindering his on-court time the last two seasons, I see McDermott really benefiting from a point guard in Rondo and veteran leadership surrounding him. McDermott scored 9.4ppg while shooting 42.5 percent from three-point range last season. Look for McBuckets to move the needle next season.
Next: What can we expect from Hoiberg in year two?