1. Frontcourt won’t get the Zion Williamson test
In the first Summer League game, the major breakthrough for the Chicago Bulls was the presence of former Arkansas Razorbacks All-SEC big man Daniel Gafford with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. The outing for Gafford against the Cavs wasn’t quite as productive, but he was still a rock down low.
Much like Mitchell Robinson is doing with the New York Knicks as a second round pick from the 2018 NBA Draft, Gafford is starting to emerge as a second round steal as a traditional big man. Bigs like Gafford and Robinson don’t tend to get a lot of attention now, but they’re surely making noise in Summer League.
However, what Bulls and Pelicans fans won’t get to see in game three of Summer League is the presence of Zion Williamson. Due to a bruised knee he suffered in his Summer League debut against the Knicks, Zion will miss the remainder of action for the Pelicans in Vegas this month.
Since there will be no Zion down low for the Pelicans against the Bulls, the opportunity is waiting there for Gafford to have another showing similar to what he did against the Lakers. He just needs to keep rolling in Summer League to show the Bulls coaching staff that he is worth more playing time during his rookie season.