1. Adam Mokoka, Shooting Guard
The most notable Chicago Bulls player that was flying completely under-the-radar for most of the regular season is the French native 6-foot-5 rookie shooting guard Adam Mokoka. That was until he exploded for 15 points in less than five minutes on the floor in an eventual loss to rookie forward Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Mokoka became a sensation with some Bulls fans, as they were shouting “MVP” chants after he exploded for those aforementioned 15 points in the loss to the Pelicans.
One of the Bulls two-way contract slots last offseason was used to sign Mokoka after a decent Las Vegas NBA Summer League showing. The other one was used to sign the former Boston Celtics undrafted free agent and 6-foot-6 shooting guard/wing Max Strus. But Strus already endured a season-ending knee injury earlier this season with the G-League affiliate Windy City Bulls.
The Bulls do need to tame the Mokoka hype if they feel like he can spark the offense off the bench like he did against the Pelicans. I don’t think that many Bulls fans feel like he can actually do that on a regular basis, though. Mokoka is averaging just 9.4 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, while shooting 36.1 percent from the field and 30.7 percent from three-point range.
What does help with Mokoka’s case to get more playing time with the Bulls in the NBA, instead of with the Windy City Bulls in the G-League, is his defensive potential. He is averaging 1.3 steals per game in the G-League this season. Mokoka also has a defensive box plus/minus rating of 1.1 and more than one defensive win share in the G-League.
Get Mokoka more playing time to at least see what he can do with a bigger role. He’s not doing great in the G-League, but what else do the Bulls have to lose at this point?