Chicago Bulls: 3 players to watch in the NBA Summer League

The Chicago Bulls Summer League team will debut on Saturday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Here are three players to keep an eye on.

The Chicago Bulls Summer League team will take the court on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. Central time. They have a unique mix of players this summer, ranging from a 2018 NBA Draft lottery pick to players hoping to make a G-League roster.

Here’s what the Bulls will have to work with this summer:

The obvious guys that people will want to watch are recently drafted first-round picks, Wendell Carter Jr. and Chandler Hutchison. Both players have a lot to prove this offseason as both will likely be considered fringe starters heading into the season. Summer League is a great place to get your feet wet in the NBA and get ready for the big stage.

While many people like to point out that the Summer League doesn’t really matter, last year, players like Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell both put on strong performances in the 2017 NBA Summer League. We all know at this point that those performances were indications of what was to come during the NBA regular season.

So far this year, we’ve already seen strong performances from San Antonio’s Derrick White, Miami’s Derrick Jones Jr., Sacramento’s Justin Jackson and many more. Hopefully, the Bulls will have a player or two to add to that list soon.

For this article, I want to focus on three players that won’t be the center of most people’s conversations. Without further ado, here are my three players to keep an eye on as the Bulls kick off their Summer League stint.

Antonio Blakeney

• Height: 6’4″
• College: Lousiana State
• Position: Guard

Antonio Blakeney played for the Chicago Bulls under a two-way contract during the 2017-18 NBA season, meaning he bounced back and forth between the G-League and the NBA.

During his 19 games with the Chicago Bulls, Blakeney contributed 7.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in a limited role (only playing 16.5 minutes per game). While he impressed at times, his shooting really struggled. He shot a rough 37.1 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from 3-point range. His time in the G-League, however, was a completely different story.

Blakeney absolutely balled out in the G-League.

In 32 games with the Windy City Bulls, Antonio Blakeney averaged 32.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game on 46.2 percent shooting from the field and 35.4 percent shooting from 3.

After making his mark on the 2017 Bulls Summer League team and then having a nice year with both the Chicago Bulls and the Windy City Bulls, expect Blakeney to be a massive contributor in the 2018 NBA Summer League.

Donte Ingram

• Height: 6’6″
• College: Loyola-Chicago
• Position: Guard

If it wasn’t for an incredible 2018 NCAA Tournament run for the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers including a big-time shot over the Miami Hurricanes, not many people would know the name Donte Ingram.

Donte Ingram is a Chicago native who played 4 years for the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers. During his senior season, he averaged 11.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game on 44.3 percent shooting from the field and an impressive 39.2 percent from 3-point land (his junior season he shot an incredible 45.8 percent from 3).

During the NCAA Tournament, he averaged 7.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Those numbers might not seem very impressive but he played a vital role in helping the Ramblers make it to the Final Four and he even made one of the 2018 NCAA Tournament All-Region teams. The Ramblers wouldn’t have even made it out of the first round if it wasn’t for this shot:

There’s no question that the kid has ice in his veins.

He might not play a huge role for the Summer League squad, but it will be interesting to see what he does with the minutes he’s given.

Melo Trimble

• Height: 6’3″
• College: Maryland
• Position: Guard

Some of you may remember Melo Trimble from his Maryland days. The dude was a stud in college.

He played for three years at the University of Maryland and averaged a cool 15.9 points, 3.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game on 42.9 percent shooting from the field and 34.4 percent shooting from 3-point range.

During the 2017-18 season, Trimble played in the G-League for the Iowa Wolves where he averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds on 43.8 percent shooting from the field and 34.6 percent shooting from 3.

I’m not sure where the Bulls stand, but in my opinion, the backup point guard spot is up for grabs. Cameron Payne and Jerian Grant shared the duties during the 2017-18 season but if Trimble impresses during the Summer League, I think he has a chance at making the Bulls roster and eventually earning a consistent role as the backup point guard.

Next: The Chicago Bulls will soon have to show their true colors

Trimble is only 23 years old and still has loads of talent. I’m hoping he has an impressive Summer League and continues to make his mark on the basketball world.