Chicago Bulls: 4 best players during the 2020 calendar year

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Shaquille Harrison, Chicago Bulls Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports /

4) Chicago Bulls who had the best 2020

Shaquille Harrison, Combo Guard

Just in terms of the advanced metrics, one of the best overall players for the Bulls (in the starting five or off the bench) was the former Tulsa Golden Hurricane 6-foot-4 and 190 pound 27-year-old combo guard Shaquille Harrison. As one of the more surprising departures from last year’s Bulls team last month, Harrison and point guard Kris Dunn left a defensive void in the backcourt rotation for this season.

While Harrison didn’t get to come back to this Bulls team for the current season, he was still very efficient off the bench down the stretch last year for Boylen. Harrison didn’t get a qualifying offer in restricted free agency over the offseason, and he wound up signing a minimum deal which allowed him to take his talents to join the Utah Jazz out West.

During the shortened 2019-20 regular season, Harrison played in 43 games for the Bulls (10 of which he started in). And he averaged 4.9 points per game, 2.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks, and just 0.4 turnovers. Harrison shot 46.7 percent from the field, 38.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 78.0 percent from the free-throw line.

All of that amounted to a team-high 2.8 box plus/minus rating, 0.6 value over replacement player rating, .153 win shares per 48 minutes, 1.5 total win shares, 55.9 true shooting percentage, 116 offensive rating/105 defensive rating, and a 17.8 player efficiency rating. Pretty much all of those advanced metrics that Harrison registered last season were good for career bests for him.

Harrison was especially good after the turn of the calendar year from 2019 to 2020 for the Bulls. In five games played in the month of March alone, Harrison averaged around 12 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, and three assists. He posted a sparkling 128 offensive rating and 103 defensive rating while shooting 47.6 percent from the field, an immaculate 61.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line.

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