Prior to preseason it looked like the Chicago Bulls big man rotation would be an issue. How have the big men performed in pre-season so far?
Wendell Carter Jr. was the only proven center on the Chicago Bulls roster prior to pre-season beginning. Though Daniel Gafford had performed well in NBA Summer League, this wasn’t against real NBA competition. The same applied to off-season signing Luke Kornet, who had only played 1100 NBA minutes for a weak New York Knicks. In three preseason games though, we have seen both Gafford and Kornet show they are worthy of rotation minutes.
Daniel Gafford
Gafford showed that his NBA summer league performance wasn’t a flash in the pan with some strong play against real NBA competition. Defensively he was excellent, with impeccable timing on blocks and great hands in the painted area.
On offense he tried to dunk everything when he was within range and was assertive on the offensive glass. Though he doesn’t have the shooting range yet, Gafford is perfect for a high tempo offense and will fit nicely next to other floor spacers.
Luke Kornet
Luke Kornet was a large unknown after just 66 games over two seasons on a weak Knicks team. In the pre-season though he has shown he can hold his own against NBA bigs with some encouraging play on both ends. After shooting 36 percent from three last year he has flashed a nice shooting stroke and some heads up play on that end also.
Kornet has bought into the Bulls fast offense and showed he can move the ball too. Zipping the ball around the perimeter he impressed with his decision-making. At 7-foot-1 he also moved his feet well in the paint.
Wendell Carter Jr.
Wendell Carter Jr. has only played the one game in preseason. He was a little rusty offensively and struggled to mesh with the other players on court but he looked fit and strong none the less. He has packed on muscle over the offseason and will be a menace on defense this season.
His rebounding and defensive energy will be key to the Bulls hopes this year. With just the one preseason game left Carter will hope to get more touches and play himself into better game shape.
Cristiano Felicio
It’s unclear how Cristiano Felicio will fit into the team this year. With two years still left on his deal he may be a trade piece during the season. He looked good in patches in pre-season but his hands let him down numerous times on offense.
He can provide energy as a rim runner while still being a strong screener but it looks like he will be confined to garbage time minutes unless there is an injury to one of the above players.
The center rotation is now looking like a strength for this team. With three options plus an experienced backup like Felicio they can be confident of their back line come the first game.