Chicago Bulls: Breaking down the options at small forward

1. Denzel Valentine

The Bulls took Denzel Valentine with the 14th pick in last summer’s draft, but his rookie season was nothing to write home about. Valentine appeared in 57 games, and averaged 5.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

At 6-foot-6, Valentine was known as a do-it-all player at Michigan State who didn’t do anything great but didn’t do anything poorly, either.

While his first season was overall unimpressive, there’s still reason to believe Valentine can be a contributor.

What he does well

Valentine made 73 of his 208 3-pointers last season, making them at a 35.1 percent clip. That shooting and spacing should be a welcome addition to the Bulls offense, especially for one built around the driving of Wade and fellow-sophomore Kris Dunn. Of all of Chicago’s options, Valentine may be the best perimeter shooter.

He’s a good enough ball handler that he can attack close outs, and smart enough to keep the ball moving on offense.

Defensively, he has the size and strength to play up a position at the 3 (Valentine is more traditionally a shooting guard) and switch onto other players. He’s no Draymond Green, but he’s adequate on that end.

What he doesn’t do well

If his jumper isn’t falling, Valentine is a non-threat offensively. His game isn’t particularly versatile, and he lacks elite athleticism to attack the rim. In other words: It’s not hard to defend Valentine. He’s a solid cog in the offense, but far from transformative.

As a rookie, he was prone to turnovers, giving the ball away almost as much as he assisted teammates. That should improve with time, though, something the rebuilding Bulls have.