Denzel Valentine
I have expressed my affinity for Denzel Valentine multiple times online, along with my high expectations for him for next season. I do believe that Denzel will be the leading scorer off of the bench in his fourth NBA season due to the fact that he will be healthy and used in the right way.
Watching Fred Hoiberg play Valentine at the small forward was painful, as he is simply not athletic enough to play with wing-sized players. However, as a guard, Valentine can focus on creating shots for himself and for his teammates. The Bulls’ bench has been much improved from last year and years’ past, so expect Valentine’s assist numbers to increase. It will be exciting to see him run the pick-and-roll with Thaddeus Young and pop three-point dishes from rookie Coby White.
2019-2020 predictions: 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, .8 steals, 44% FG, 37% 3pt
Coby White
Coby White‘s situation in Chicago is certainly an interesting one. As a top-ten pick on a rebuilding team, one would expect that White would slide right into the starting point guard position. However, the sense in the organization is that the team will be ready to compete for a playoff position, thus White will have to earn his way to the starting position past veterans like Tomas Satoransky.
Even as a critic of White’s drafting, it would be shocking to see him playing off of the bench for long in Chicago. However, even in his time off the bench he can prove to be an affective all-around player. Efficiency will be key for White, as he tends to be a bit trigger happy at times.
Perhaps being surrounded by players who are currently better than him will lead him to accepting a facilitating role, which he is certainly capable of undertaking at a high level. Efficiency is also something White should look to focus on this season, if the NBA Summer League is any indication of his shooting marks.
2019-2020 predictions: 12.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 42% FG, 36% 3pt
Thaddeus Young
Thaddeus Young was a phenomenal addition to this Chicago group. His signing indicates that the Bulls feel internally ready to make a playoff run. Whether this is the case or not, Young fills needs as a positive veteran presence, a backup power forward, and as a legitimate bench piece.
Young may not be a modern NBA player, but his back-to-the-basket, defensive-minded style of play is actually a great compliment to starting power forward Lauri Markkanen’s game. With Young and Markkanen, the Bulls will be able to play multiple different ways at the four position at a very high level. Look for Thaddeus Young to take a strong leadership role in the locker room and to assert himself as one of the top options off of the bench.
2019-2020 predictions: 11.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.2 blocks, 54% FG