Make-or-break stretch for Chicago Bulls players: Denzel Valentine
All three of the Bulls players on this list had at least pretty inconsistent roles under Donovan as their first-year head coach this season. But no other Bulls player has seen his role at key points of the game come and go this season at unpredictable times as the former Michigan State Spartan and 27-year-old shooting guard/wing Denzel Valentine.
Donovan and the Bulls got some solid play on the offensive end of the floor out of Valentine so far this season, but he hasn’t found any consistent role over any solid stretch of time over the course of the last two years. Valentine’s playing time has always remained inconsistent as he’s been coached by three different bench bosses in his five years with the Bulls.
This season has at least seen Valentine get the most minutes played per game that he’s had since the 2017-18 campaign, then under the direction of former head coach Fred Hoiberg. It was also made clear that former Bulls head coach Jim Boylen wasn’t a fan of playing Valentine in key spots.
Donovan has entrusted Valentine at times this season to come off the bench in the second or third unit as a primary ball handler. Especially with star shooting guard Zach LaVine missing time of late due to a violation of the league’s health and safety protocol, this upcoming stretch of games will be critical for Valentine.
Since Valentine was re-signed to a one-year deal last offseason, he’s set to hit the free agent market again this summer. And so far this season, he’s averaged 6.9 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.1 blocks. He’s shot 38.3 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, and is perfect on 12 total attempts from the free-throw line.