We’re edging closer to the crazy time of the year when the NBA Finals wrap up and teams like the Chicago Bulls make crazy moves on or before draft night and in the opening hours of free agency. One restricted free agent that Chicago should be paying attention to is Cristiano Felicio.
Who does not know of the ever-smiling manchild that is Felicio?
Big Cris has spent two seasons with the Bulls, but now he’ll have a chance to test free agency. Fortunately, Gar Forman will have the chance to match whatever Felicio can get on the open market this summer.
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There should be suitors for the talented young Brazilian bulldozer. He’s massive, athletic, works hard and has so much potential as a pick-and-roll or pick-and-lob partner. He has a lot of potential, but also a tremendous amount of development necessary to reach that potential.
He’s got believers all over Bulls nation. Guys at SB Nation, FanSided, and The Athletic agree – and I’m among them – that Felicio is a guy Chicago should keep around for the next few years.
The problem is that he presents the same kind of potential upside for other teams and that might be attractive. The amount of money that gets thrown at him this summer by potential suitors is going to plan a large role in whether Forman has the fortitude to keep his back-up center in town.
He plays a great counterbalance to Robin Lopez. While the veteran starter is a stout defender near the rim, he gets aired out when he is forced to chase out to the perimeter. A great example is the adjustment by Brad Stevens in the first round of the playoffs, opting to move Al Horford to the perimeter and all the way out of the paint. Lopez was destroying the Boston Celtics on the boards and at the rim. On offense he’s a back-to-the-basket guy who also launches the occasional shot from the top of the key. Felicio is mostly the opposite. He’s more athletic, quicker, and he gets up off the ground, which is where RoLo is firmly rooted.
As you can see above, the screen is a big piece of Felicio’s game on offense. But his imposing frame is just the half of it, after creating some space, he gets to the rim with a quickness that Lopez dreams of. Then he gets up and finds a finesse touch that you won’t see out of other players of his size and NBA experience.
He’s not all touch, though. Have a look:
Felicio comes off the screen feint gets the ball at the free throw line and proceeds to just bulldoze his way to the rim like Brock Lesnar is a Slayer mosh pit. It’s glorious.
The good news for fans of Felicio and the Bulls is that his limited exposure, 97 games in two years, might mean modest offers from other teams. And that might also be wishful thinking.
Felicio turns 25 this summer and played some professional basketball in Brazil before making the move to the United States. His age and limited time in the league are really important to me, because I think they’ll need it to keep him in town on a good deal. Everything is trending in the right direction. He played 66 games in his second season, averaging 15.8 minutes per game. His modest stat line last year, 4.8 points and 4.7 assists belie what he offers Chicago.
If he’s not in a Bulls uniform next season, it’s bad news. His athleticism and potential are exciting and it isn’t exactly common to find an exciting player with potential on Chicago’s roster these days, so let’s hope they don’t let Cristiano slip away in free agency this summer.