The NBA Summer League gave Chicago Bulls fans reasons to be both optimistic and worried, however, these games must be taken very lightly.
Throughout the history of this Summer League, NBA fans have witnessed very false testaments to players’ potential. Every year, a few players have a phenomenal showing in this development league and are proclaimed as the next big thing in the NBA, when in reality they were far too hyped up. The Chicago Bulls got that experience too.
Take New York’s Kevin Knox, for example. In the Summer of 2018, Knox absolutely showed out, averaging 21.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He was heralded as a favorite to win the rookie of the year for the 2018-2019 season. In reality, Knox struggled mightily in his rookie season, shooting under 37 percent from the field, posting a very poor player efficiency rating of an 8.7, and a win share total of -1.3.
By no means does this indicate that Knox will have an unsuccessful professional career. As a top-ten selection just a year ago, the 20-year-old has plenty of promise and will likely find lots of success at the NBA level. However, for his name to be in the conversation with the likes of Luka Doncic, DeAndre Ayton, and Trae Young is a massive overvaluation.
An example of this phenomenon even more familiar to Bulls fans is Cameron Payne‘s success in the 2019 NBA Summer League, in which he averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on over 50 percent shooting for Dallas. As Chicago knows all too well, these numbers are by no means an indication of Payne’s basketball ability, and should be taken as they are: a small sample size against subpar competition.
The top Summer League player for Chicago in 2019 was Daniel Gafford, who has caused many to believe that he is the steal of this draft. I evaluated Gafford as a first-round talent in pre-draft analysis, and I have stuck by this statement. As great as he has played in the Summer League, Bulls fans must remind themselves that this league rarely correlates to NBA success. However, I still expect Gafford to have a phenomenal rookie season and surprise a lot of people.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, many players have struggled mightily in the Summer League and found massive success in the NBA. Take Atlanta’s Young for example. In last year’s Summer League, Young shot under 25 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from deep, causing Atlanta fans to enter panic mode. As we now know, Young proved to be a top player in his class and debunked the myth that he would be an NBA bust.
This is the case with many NBA players, including Chicago’s pride and joy in Derrick Rose, who played horrendously in his two summer league contests in 2008 before going on to become the youngest MVP in the history of the NBA.
This year, the concern for Chicago seems to lie with seventh overall pick Coby White. White averaged 15 points per game this summer, but on 34 percent shooting from the field. Known as a score-fist guard out of college, this is something that Bulls fans did not expect to see at all.
However, a lot of the time, these top picks put immense pressure on themselves to make an immediate impact, even in a consolation league that means nothing for regular season or playoff basketball. This may be what Chicago fans observed in White these past few games, but they are no cause for panic.
The list of examples of Summer League success and frustration go on forever, as it is such a common theme that it makes one wonder how much of the concept is for the development of drafted players and how much of it is centered around finding players to fill two-way contracts and G-League teams. Don’t fret, Chicago. Just kick back, relax, and wait for October to roll around.