3 former Chicago Bulls players finding most success in the bubble
1. Former Bulls finding success in Orlando: JaKarr Sampson, Forward
And the last former Bulls player on this list that is seemingly finding more success outside of the Windy City in the restart is the 6-foot-7 and 215 pound former St. John’s forward JaKarr Sampson. The former undrafted free agent that made his NBA debut with the Philadelphia 76ers back during the 2014-15 season is having a big year now with the Indiana Pacers.
Sampson only played in four games with the Bulls last season, when now former head coach Jim Boylen was watching his bits and pieces of a team fade down the stretch. He averaged 20.0 points per game, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks, in those four games played with the Bulls. Sampson did that while shooting 53.7 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 81.0 percent from the free-throw line.
There is a definite case to be made that the Bulls should’ve let Sampson stick around for longer in the Windy City with his standout production in four games last season. But the Pacers were now able to scoop him up, and he’s playing in a valuable role off the bench for them. In 34 games played total this season with the Pacers, Sampson averaged 4.6 points per game, 2.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks. ‘
And Sampson shot 59.1 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the free-throw line with the Pacers this season. The advanced numbers in the eight games played from Sampson in the bubble are very solid. He’s registered a 116 offensive rating/102 defensive rating, 63.4 true shooting percentage, and he’s a net positive (+1.4) while on the floor. In the playoffs thus far, he’s also got a solid 1.4 box plus/minus rating, .122 win shares per 48 minutes, 66.7 true shooting percentage, and a 17.6 player efficiency rating.