5. Denzel Valentine
Selected with the 14th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Denzel Valentine didn’t see a lot of playing time his first season in Chicago. He appeared in just 57 games and played less than 1,000 minutes his rookie year. (For reference, rookie of the year Malcolm Brogdon played nearly 2,000 minutes.) Valentine averaged 5.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 35.1 percent from 3-point range.
He got a few chances, though. Like when, on Jan. 10 against the Washington Wizards, Valentine played 30 minutes and scored 19 points, including making five of his 11 3-point attempts (45.5 percent).
He was buried on the depth chart behind Chicago’s “three alphas” Butler, Wade and Rajon Rondo. With two of the three alphas gone–and one likely on his way out–Valentine should see more playing time, even as the Bulls added LaVine, Dunn and Justin Holiday to the mix. This season, Valentine projects as a reserve guard, but should see more playing time than last season.
Valentine’s value is in his 3-and-D potential. He is among Chicago’s best 3-point shooters. He shot 35.1 percent as a rookie and was a 40 percent 3-point shooter as a four-year player at Michigan State. At 6-foot-6 with a near-6-foot-11 wingspan, Valentine may already be Chicago’s best perimeter defender.
He has a natural ceiling due to his limited athleticism, and needs to find more ways to score at the NBA level. As with most young players, he needs to become more consistent as well.
With more playing time, Valentine will have more of a chance to show what he can do. The Bulls should have played him more as a rookie. They’ll get a better look at him this season, though, and Valentine will have to prove he was worthy of a lottery pick.