Chicago Bulls: Tomas Satoransky’s Strong FIBA a good sign

Team USA’s FIBA World Cup ended Wednesday as did the Czech Republic’s. But Tomas Satoransky’s strong tournament bodes well for the Chicago Bulls.

When the Chicago Bulls signed Tomas Satoransky over the summer it was generally met with approval. Whether he starts or comes off the bench the 6’7” combo guard will be a valuable piece. His play during the FIBA World Cup leaves one to wonder how it will translate once the NBA season starts.

Satoransky averaged 14.8 points, 8.3 assists, and 6.5 rebounds per game during the tournament. He bested his per-36 numbers of 11.8 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.6 boards from this past NBA season. He was also the second-leading scorer on the Czech Republic team.

Now to put all that into a little bit of context.

The scoring was good for 25th among FIBA players, which can be a negative or a positive depending on how you want to look at it. But taken this way, he was second in minutes per game, and it loses some of its luster. Still, it would have been enough for fourth among Bulls players to play at least 40 games plus Otto Porter.

Additionally, Satoransky finished second in assists during the tournament, averaging 8.3 dimes per contest. That beats the six per game that Kris Dunn had last season and lends credence to Satoransky being the better starting option for the 2019 campaign. At least until Coby White is ready.

But nearly 60 percent of Satoransky’s makes came off an assist.

Furthermore, the former John Wall stand-in canned threes at a higher clip during FIBA play (44.4 percent) than he did last season (39.5 percent) despite the increase in attempts from two to three per game. He was better at the charity stripe, too, hitting 87.5 percent of his free throws compared to 81.9 percent last season.

His height was key on the defensive glass, where he got 5.8 of his rebounds. His steal numbers were not great but were on par for his career and he did have two games where he recorded three rips. He also had a two-block performance against Cristiano Felicio’s Brazilian squad.

All in all, it was a strong showing for one of the newest Bulls. The numbers won’t exactly translate for many reasons. For one, even as a starter, he won’t have the ball nearly as much as he did during FIBA during the NBA season. Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen both operate best with the rock.

But his impact on the game will still show through.

Despite being the best player on his team, he didn’t force his own shot; his 11.3 attempts were 19th among the top-25 scorers during FIBA play. He is efficient, used to being off the ball and can defend up to three positions. He can fit alongside any of the Bulls perimeter players and will be an asset on the defensive boards.

Satoransky just missed out on a triple-double, going for 13 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds. in the Czech loss to Australia. Don’t overlook the fact that the Czech team lasted just as long as Team USA either.

Just like in the case of Thaddeus Young, the Bulls gained a lot for a little with this signing.