Chicago Bulls: Simi Shittu brings untapped talent to Training Camp

Adding the underrated and potent former Vanderbilt forward Simi Shittu could help the Chicago Bulls young frontcourt in Training Camp.

The former Vanderbilt Commodores freshman big man Simi Shittu was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of Vermont Academy north of the border in Canada. Now, he will be trying to make the Chicago Bulls roster out of Training Camp after going through the 2019 NBA Draft as an undrafted free agent.

There is little to no exposure for Shittu in the Summer League. Although he did compete for the Memphis Grizzlies in the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas NBA Summer Leagues this offseason, he only played in three games and around 20 minutes total. That wasn’t near enough time for NBA teams to get an eye on what Shittu could actually bring to the table at the next level.

Per the Twitter timeline of Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Bulls signed Shittu to a Training Camp deal. He could also make his way to the Bulls roster in the NBA by taking the route of standing out with the G-League affiliate Windy City Bulls.

However, the 6-foot-10 and 245 pound Shittu has a large frame and pretty insane physical tools. According to his scouting report out of Vanderbilt from The Stepien, Shittu has a strong frame that allows him to standout when bodying up opposing defenders and offensive players in the paint. He’s a good blocker and rebounder. He hits the offensive glass hard which can be difficult to find out of undrafted power forwards with his size.

The Bulls would have to be patient with the footwork, shooting ability, and off-ball defense of Shittu. His two-way skill set has a long way to go before he could be a consistent threat on offense, even far down an NBA bench. The holes in his defensive awareness also need to be patched up.

During his one season with the Vanderbilt basketball program, Shittu managed 10.9 points per game, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. He also averaged 2.9 turnovers per game and shot well under 60 percent from the free-throw line. The offensive versatility just isn’t there yet.

This is still a solid signing for Training Camp so that the Bulls can load up the roster. Finding long-term projects that can contribute off the bench down the road is a concept that works well for a host of the more underrated franchises in the NBA. Having the Bulls join those ranks would be a new concept too.

Within the past two weeks, the Bulls added a number of roster pieces alongside Shittu. Two other significant names in that mix include former St. Johns guard Justin Simon and the former Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Milton Doyle. Shittu is yet another player that could be considered a project with a higher ceiling that has work to do on the offensive end of the floor.