Chicago Bulls: 5 bold predictions for the 2019 preseason

Chicago Bulls (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Chicago Bulls (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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Chicago Bulls Daniel Gafford
(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

3. Daniel Gafford and Kris Dunn form a nice connection

If he’s ready to go for the preseason opener for the Chicago Bulls against the Bucks early next week, Gafford could be a very fun player to watch for these five games. Gafford had a great run in Summer League on both ends of the floor. He also posted numerous highlight reel plays in a Bulls uniform in Summer League.

It’s rare that you see a rookie second round draft pick like Gafford excel in the areas he’s known for and show additional flashes with such maturity in his game like he did in the Vegas Summer League. Gafford averaged 13.8 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in his Summer League stint with the Bulls.

Another encouraging factor for Gafford was the fact that he shot 65 percent from the charity stripe. Usually a big man with Gafford’s skill set and free-throw percentage that he registered at Arkansas struggles from the free-throw line out of the gates. That could be a good trend to watch moving forward from Gafford.

But where does Gafford go from here?

Finding another solid connection like he had with White in Summer League could be key. A possible name to watch that could blend well with Gafford on both ends of the floor is the defensively stout point guard Kris Dunn. The length and mid-range shooting ability from Dunn could be maximized by the rim protecting ability and offensive rebounding of Gafford.