Rankings: Which Members of the Bulls Have the Most to Prove?
By Jake Barajas
5. Tony Snell
Tony Snell has shown the potential to be a valuable rotation player as a three-and-D guy. However, he has not excelled quite enough in either facet of the game since coming into the league. Snell’s defense and shot from three are magnified so closely since there aren’t many areas of the game where he has been a real difference maker.
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Offensively, if Snell is going to be touted as a shooter, then he has to improve his three-point shot. His career high came on his sophomore season where he shot 37 percent. That’s certainly respectable, but if his only role on offense is to shoot, then he has to shoot closer to 40 percent from beyond the arc.
On defense Snell has been solid, but if he isn’t going to contribute much on the offensive end, he has to be elite on defense. With a wing span of nearly 7-feet, he certainly has the length to be disruptive defender. But, he hasn’t been impactful enough on defense to justify keeping him on the floor when his shot isn’t falling.
Snell is coming up on last year of his rookie contract with a qualifying offer for next season. Barring a catastrophic season, he will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. Snell not only has a lot to prove to the Bulls, but the other 29 teams as well.
If he wants to cash in next summer, Snell has to improve his three-point shooting or take his defense to the next level. If he can somehow do both, it wouldn’t be inconceivable for Snell to sign a deal next summer approaching $10 million per year.
Next: No. 4