Chicago Bulls: 3 players who must turn it around to make playoff run

Troy Brown Jr., SG/SF

First-year executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley did get the Bulls some younger depth on the wing at the trade deadline. By way of snagging 21-year-old shooting guard/small forward Troy Brown Jr. from the Washington Wizards and shooting guard Javonte Green from the Boston Celtics, the Bulls did rejuvenate this portion of their rotation.

Especially with veteran shooting guard Garrett Temple dealing with lingering injury issues in the last few weeks, the role of Brown in this wing rotation for the Bulls is crucial. He’s shown flashes of brilliance on both ends of the floor, but his overall efficiency off the bench in seven games played with the Bulls thus far was less than stellar.

He’s averaged 4.6 points per game, 2.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks, in his seven games played with the Bulls. And he’s shot 42.9 percent from the field, 30.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 80.0 percent from the free-throw line.

The defensive ability of Brown was definitely underrated during his few years with the Wizards. He’s played solid on-ball defense off the bench for Donovan and the Bulls when called upon this season. If he’s going to continue to get playing time in place of an injured Temple and fifth-year shooting guard/wing Denzel Valentine, the overall efficiency of Brown will need to start trending up.