Chicago Bulls players bound to struggle on defense this season: Matt Thomas
It’s hard to not get on board with the idea right now that the Bulls should keep the former Utah Jazz and Toronto Raptors sharpshooting two-guard/wing Matt Thomas around beyond Training Camp and the preseason. Among the players that were signed to non-guaranteed contracts entering Training Camp and the preseason, Thomas is looking like one of the best.
Through two games in the preseason, Thomas has added another dimension to this offense in terms of floor spacing and shot creation. Most Bulls fans likely already knew coming into the preseason that Thomas was one of the best shooters on the camp roster. It was just a fact of how he fit in with the rest of the phases of the game with the reserves that would determine Thomas’ fate in Chicago.
Thomas has averaged 9.5 points per game, 1.5 assists, no rebounds, 0.5 blocks, and no steals through two games in the preseason. He did have one block so far, but he’s mostly struggled otherwise on defense.
Defense was never a strong suit for Thomas. He’s registered a career -0.9 defensive box plus/minus, and averages 0.7 steals and no blocks per 36 minutes in his two seasons in the NBA to date.
Thomas is not a great on-ball defender, but that’s not what the Bulls brought him in for. If he can continue to be a knockdown shooter from the outside for Donovan and the Bulls this season, that will likely be enough for him to contend for a roster spot. If nothing else, he could be a contender for the remaining two-way contract slot alongside second-year point guard Devon Dotson.