It’s time to give Bulls guard Denzel Valentine some love
By Khobi Price
Despite the record, Denzel Valentine has quietly had a really good season for the Chicago Bulls.
The Nikola Mirotic-Bobby Portis saga, along with a 3-20 start, casted a large shadow over the team early in the season. Kris Dunn has received a strong amount of praise for his development. Rookie Lauri Markkanen is having a very good season.
Zach LaVine’s imminent return is receiving a considerable amount of attention by local and national media. Lost in the on-goings of the Chicago franchise is Denzel Valentine’s development over the past year. In his rookie season Valentine mostly played behind former Bulls guards Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade.
It’s time for Denzel to shine
He’s using this season to showcase the player the Bulls hope he’d become when they drafted him. One of Valentine’s best skills coming out of Michigan State was his passing ability.
His size (6’6”) allows him to see over the top of most guards, while his above average length (6’10”) makes it difficult for defenders to disrupt his passes. His vision, instincts, and high basketball IQ makes him a special playmaker.
DraftExpress had this to say regarding Valentine’s passing ability before he was drafted:
“He can make every type of pass in the book, and is especially good at making reads in transition and early offense situations, finding shooters in the corners, big men cutting to the rim, and everything in between, particularly on the pick and roll.”
Most of these skills have translated well to the NBA. Bulls often run their sets through him to start their games and use him as a secondary ball-handler. Valentine has shown a considerable amount of comfort and is thriving in this role; a 15.5 assist percentage, which is in the 79th percentile among wings.
Denzel Valentine is shooting better this season
Valentine’s shooting ability is another strength of his game that’s become more evident with a larger role in the offense. He’s making nearly 40 percent of his three point attempts.
What’s remarkable about Valentine’s shooting stroke is he shoots better on pull-ups from beyond the arc, then on catch-and-shoot threes. Valentine is one of eight players that are shooting over 40 percent on their pull-up three-pointer attempts.
He’s able to swiftly get his feet back underneath him after picking up his dribble. This allows him to have the proper amount of balance on his shot and his quick release makes the shot nearly unblock-able.
Despite his lack of athleticism, Valentine is a solid rebounder. He has a knack for being in the right place and gets good positioning when near the basket.
Valentine is far from a player without flaws
The lack of athleticism mentioned earlier prevents him from making quick bursts to the basket while handling the ball. He doesn’t create a lot of good looks for himself in isolation.
62 percent of his shots are assisted on, he shoots a measly 37.5 percent in isolation and scores 0.7 points per possession, according to the NBA’s official website. His lack of shot-creating ability off the bounce explains his putrid frequency in getting to the line.
The lack of quickness hurts him on the defensive end as well. It’s become easy for players to blow by him off the dribble. He counteracts his shortcomings as an individual defender by making smart and timely rotations in team defense.
Denzel Valentine continues to develop
Valentine developed a reputation as a solid-all around offensive player in his four collegiate seasons. This includes his senior year when he stuffed the stat sheet with 19.2 points, 7.8 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game.
He led the Spartans to their fifth Big 10 Conference tournament championship, and was awarded the 2016 Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year.
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It’s very unlikely he’ll experience that kind of production or receive similar accolades at the pro level. Valentine’s high basketball IQ, passing ability and shooting stroke will always have a place in the league, but the deficiencies in his game limit his perceived ceiling as a player.
“He’s the guard version of me,” said Golden State Warriors (and former Spartan) forward Draymond Green, according to a May 25, 2016 USA TODAY Sports article, “Is he a 1 or a 2? He’s a basketball player. Put him at the 1, 2, or 3, he’s going to get it done. He’s going to make plays.”
For a guy who had a difficult time being respected as a potential first-round pick on Draft Boards before his final season with Michigan State, being viewed as a legit NBA player is an accomplishment. For the Chicago Bulls organization that’s reshaping their roster around younger talent, Valentine fortify his standing in the organization is a win.