Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Chicago Bulls 2018-19 season preview: Denzel Valentine

By Luke Askew

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 22: Denzel Valentine #45 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles the ball around E'Twaun Moore #55 of the New Orleans Pelicans during a NBA game at the Smoothie King Center on January 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 22: Denzel Valentine #45 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles the ball around E'Twaun Moore #55 of the New Orleans Pelicans during a NBA game at the Smoothie King Center on January 22, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

After a poor rookie campaign, Chicago Bulls wing Denzel Valentine had a successful second season in the NBA. How will he fair in his third year as a pro?

The Chicago Bulls drafted Denzel Valentine with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. Valentine was wildly successful during his years in college at Michigan State where he was a consensus All-American and the 2015-16 Big Ten Player of the Year.

During his senior year for the Spartans, Valentine averaged an extremely impressive 19.2 points, 7.8 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game on 46.2 percent shooting from the field and 44.4 percent shooting from 3-point range. Valentine hasn’t found anywhere near that level of success in the NBA, but there’s still time… right?

The most disappointing part of Denzel Valentine’s professional career thus far has been his inability to make plays the way he did in college. Averaging 7.8 assists per game during his senior season, one would think that he would be a natural playmaker in the pros as well, but that simply hasn’t been the case.

Last season for the Bulls, Valentine averaged 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on 41.7 percent shooting from the field, 38.6 percent shooting from 3-point range and 74.5 percent shooting from the free throw line. This was a huge step up from his rookie season in terms of both production and efficiency. During his rookie year, he averaged 5.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game on horrendous .354/.351/.778 shooting splits.

More from Bulls News

Normally, Valentine would likely continue to elevate his game and we would see a continued rise in production and efficiency during his third season. Unfortunately for Denzel, the Bulls got deeper during the offseason and Valentine’s role will likely decrease in the 2018-19 season.

With the additions of Chandler Hutchison and Jabari Parker on the wings, the Bulls now have 4 guards/forwards that will likely get priority over Valentine.

Denzel Valentine shouldn’t be counted out as a player that can positively impact the Bulls, though. If Cameron Payne doesn’t find success as the backup point guard, there’s a chance that Fred Hoiberg could look to Valentine to handle the ball for the second unit. I would be extremely surprised in that situation if Ryan Arcidiacono didn’t get the role as the backup point guard, but I’ve been surprised before.

As Valentine tries to find continued success in the NBA, the 2018-19 season will be extremely important for him – his most important season yet.

Next. Power ranking the Chicago Bulls top 5 players. dark

Projected 2018-19 stat line: 8.0 PPG / 4.0 RPG / 2.5 APG / 43.0% FG / 40.0% 3FG

Home/Bulls News