5 Chicago Bulls players with something to prove in the 2017-18 season

3. Bobby Portis

Coming out of Arkansas in the 2015 draft, Bobby Portis was an NBA Draft-nerd favorite. He was selected 22nd overall by the Bulls, and was thought to be a perfect fit for newly-hired head coach Fred Hoiberg’s pace-and-space offense. Portis, however, hasn’t developed into the stretch-4 many projected.

At 6-foot-11, 246 pounds, Portis is a career 32.4 percent 3-point shooter averaging 1.2 attempts per game. He did shoot a better 45.8 percent from the corners last season.

Portis played just 1,000 minutes last season, with other forwards Nikola Mirotic, Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott all playing more. None of those guys are under contract (Mirotic, a restricted free agent, has yet to sign). Even as the Bulls drafted Lauri Markkanen in June and Mirotic could still return, Portis in his third year should get an opportunity.

His per 36 numbers are promising: 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds. There’s reason to believe that with more playing time and a longer leash that the 22 year old could develop into a core piece for the Bulls going forward. If he were to take a step in his development, Portis could unlock some interesting small-ball units alongside Markkanen or Mirotic in the frontcourt.

For Portis to secure a regular spot in Chicago’s rotation, he needs to improve defensively. He has the size and strength to be an adequate rim protector, but has averaged just 0.6 blocks per 36 minutes in his first two seasons. If he can find a way to positively impact the game on the defensive end, Portis could develop into a core piece of the rebuild.