Chicago Bulls 2018 Las Vegas Summer League takeaways

The Chicago Bulls concluded their summer league play against the Detroit Pistons Saturday. Here are four takeaways from their five games in Las Vegas.

The 2018 NBA Summer League is currently underway but the Chicago Bulls concluded their contests with a 2-3 record after falling to the Detroit Pistons 72-66 in Las Vegas Saturday. While summer league performances shouldn’t be taken too seriously when attempting to project how the players will perform on the professional level, it has offered Bulls fans the opportunity to familiarize themselves with guys like Wendell Carter Jr. and Chandler Hutchison; players they may not have been able to watch closely while they played in college or high school.

A few things have caught my attention from the Chicago Bulls summer league games. Here are my takeaways.

Carter Jr. is a building block

Disclaimer: I liked Carter Jr. as a prospect coming out of Duke University. I thought his skill set would make for a solid fit next to Lauri Markkanen. However, as much of a fan I was of his, the Chicago Bulls selecting Carter Jr. with the No. 7 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft didn’t excite me. I wasn’t enamored with him enough as a prospect or his perceived lack of star caliber player upside to be thrilled about the Bulls drafting him after a full season of (unsuccessful) tanking.

Nonetheless, Carter Jr. was magnificent in the Chicago Bulls summer league contests. He averaged 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game during summer league and was one of the most impressive players of the 2018 NBA Draft class.

Carter Jr. exhibited the versatility on both ends of the floor that made him draw comparisons to Boston Celtics All-Star Al Horford. He was an efficient scorer on the inside (he made 57 percent of his two-pointers), knocked down shots from beyond the arc efficiently (43 percent 3-point percentage), was a strong interior defender (2.6 blocks per game) and displayed the switchability necessary for big men in this era of basketball.

Carter Jr. is highly skilled and polished on offense

Carter Jr. was marginalized by having to share the frontcourt with Marvin Bagley Jr. at Duke. He didn’t have the best opportunities to showcase his skills as an offensive threat. He had more chances to display his abilities as a go-to scorer during summer league.

His soft touch and wider frame allow him to gain an advantage against defenders when operating in the low post. He’s strong, coordinated and skilled enough to back down defenders but stay in control enough to get off a clean shot attempt.

Offensively, Carter Jr. has the technique and polish of a veteran. He has a plethora of moves he can unleash on defenders from a variety of spots on the floor.

Up-and-unders, fadeaways, attacking the basket off the dribble because defenders have to respect his jump shot, Carter Jr. can do it all. And when he knocks down shots like the one below, well, things just aren’t fair.

Carter Jr. makes an impact offensively even when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. He sets hard screens and keeps the ball moving with smart passes in the halfcourt. Something I’d love to see, and expect to see, more often is Carter Jr. popping out behind the 3-point line instead of the free-throw line after screens. That’ll maximize his abilities as a floor spacing center who can put the ball on the floor and make plays.

Carter Jr. is versatile defensively

What’s really caught people’s attention is Carter Jr.’s work on the defensive end of the floor. He was sensational as a weakside helper. The 2017 McDonald’s All-American isn’t freak athlete, but he stays locked defensively and did a great job of anticipating and positioning himself where he needs to be to make a play or be a disruptor.

The Chicago Bulls struggled protecting the rim during the 2017-18 campaign. Carter Jr. will surely shore up some of those issues. He also proved questions regarding his lateral quickness shouldn’t be a concern. Carter Jr. looks leaner and quicker than he was at Duke and it’s paying off. He did a solid job of switching onto guards and wings. He proved he can stay connected with players on the perimeter.

This kind of ability will make him able to stay on the floor when teams go small, looking to exploit big with quickness and versatility. Going forward, Carter Jr. will have to be careful with how often he chases blocks instead of just contesting shots. This was an issue of his in college and more veteran, savvy players will take advantage of his tendency to want to block a shot so badly that he takes himself out of a play.

Hutchison’s playmaking is legit

Chandler “The Promise” (too cheesy?) Hutchison made a name for himself at Boise State for his significant, well-rounded improvements from his underclassman years to upperclassman seasons and his scoring ability. That scoring ability hasn’t been displayed to the best of its abilities during summer league; 11 points per game on 40 percent shooting. He struggled to finish drives at the basket and convert shots inside the arc.

Despite his scoring struggles, Hutchison has impressed as a passer and playmaker for others. He made making smart passes off the bounce. As noted in my Draft Board column of Hutchison, this is a skill he demonstrated more frequently during his upperclassmen years at Boise State.

He did an admirable job of keeping his head up and not having tunnel vision when operating with the ball in his hands. Hutchison isn’t the kind of player who will initially create offense for others in the halfcourt. But, once he gets moving he showcases his abilities as a secondary playmaker.

His passes are not only timely, but they’re accurate. Hutchison will surely help a Chicago Bulls team that’s in need of high level playmakers.

Combine Hutchison’s playmaking with his scoring and versatile defensive abilities, and it looks like the Bulls found themselves a solid player late in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft.

Antonio Blakeney deserves an opportunity in the NBA

The Blakeney experience can be a roller coaster. One game he’s balling out, knocking down shots from every spot on the floor. The next game, he’s a ball stopper who can’t buy a bucket. But, throughout summer league Blakeney proved he’s more than deserving of a full-time spot on an NBA roster.

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant seems to think so as well.

Blakeney dropped 21 points per contest during the Bulls summer league games. He won’t make many other offensive contributions outside of scoring (sounds familiar, Bulls fans?). But, his ability to go out and get a bucket at will is tantalizing and will always be needed in the NBA.

He creates his own shot in isolation whether it’s pulling up from midrange or attacking the rim. Blakeney has continued to work on his jumper and was stroking the ball from deep with more confidence in summer league; 9-of-24 on 3-pointers.

For better or for worse, Blakeney turns into a one-man wrecking crew in the open court. He’s a strong defensive rebounder who looks to push the pace. Even if he misses a shot by the basket, he’s athletic enough to rebound his own miss for a put back.

As talented as he is, there’s too many holes Blakeney’s game for him to be a starter or role player depended upon to play heavy minutes. However, he’s more than capable of being a player towards the end of the rotation looked upon to score a basket when a team’s offense is sputtering.

His long-term future may not be with the Chicago Bulls. But, Blakeney should’ve earned himself more opportunities based off his play in Vegas.

Ryan Arcidiacono loves basketball

Arcidiacono is a pure grinder. He isn’t blessed with crazy athleticism, quickness or elite skills. However, he doesn’t allow those deficiencies to prevent him from making an impact on the court.

He hustles for every loose ball regardless of the situation and is an absolute pest on the defensive end of the floor. Arcidiacono doesn’t quit. He’s consistently looking to out-effort the opposing teams’s point guards, trying to gain the tiniest advantage any way he can.

Arcidiacono wasn’t flashy by any means during summer league. But, he was solid in a multitude of areas. He ran the offense well, made some nice passes, knocked down 3-pointers and brought an infectious energy to the floor.

He’s the kind of player the Chicago Bulls should be more than happy to keep around.