Just over 24 hours ahead from the start of a highly anticipated regular season slate for the Chicago Bulls, the roster essentially looks to be complete for second-year head coach Billy Donovan. And there are some names that managed to work their way onto the final roster, or in a two-way contract slot, that went into Training Camp and the preseason on non-guaranteed deals.
Two of the players that entered Training Camp and the preseason on non-guaranteed contracts with the Bulls that wound up making it through to the final roster heading into the regular season are sharpshooting guard/wing Matt Thomas and forward Tyler Cook.
Thomas will be with the Bulls on a one-year contract, worth around $1.7 million. And Cook had his contract converted to a two-way this week. Cook will be in a two-way contract slot for the Bulls this season along with second-year point guard Devon Dotson.
Bulls finalized their 2021-22 opening night roster. Alize Johnson and Matt Thomas stuck from the non-guaranteed crew. Devon Dotson and Tyler Cook get the two-ways. pic.twitter.com/vk94XBoOk1
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) October 18, 2021
Chicago Bulls keeping Matt Thomas around on the final roster
This looks like a “prove yourself” year for Thomas as he does give Donovan and the Bulls another capable floor spacer deeper down the bench. He is more of a consistent fundamental shooter than someone like shooting guard/small forward Troy Brown Jr., small forward Derrick Jones Jr., and/or shooting guard Javonte Green.
With how fast the Bulls could be moving the ball around the perimeter this season, having Thomas in the rotation could be valuable. Floor spacing is incredibly important for the offense to flow well under Donovan.
We should see Thomas get third unit minutes, mostly playing at the two, behind the likes of star shooting guard Zach LaVine and either Brown or Green. That largely depends on which position Donovan wants to mostly play Brown and/or Green at.
Thomas had a slow finish to the 2020-21 campaign in terms of his shooting numbers. He came into the NBA hot, shooting north of 41 percent from beyond the arc and around 45 percent from the field. But last season, he shot just above 33 percent from beyond the arc and under 40 percent from the field.
The one stride that Thomas did make in terms of his shooting numbers was from the free-throw line, where he hit his looks at a mark north of 85 percent.
What happened to Thomas last season was that, once he landed with the Utah Jazz, his shooting numbers really went stale. He posted the first true shooting percentage of his career with either of the two teams he’s played for below 50.0. And he shot well below 25 percent on corner three-point attempts. That is very much unlike him, even dating back to his college days as a sharpshooter with the Iowa State Cyclones.
Thomas could be a very serviceable part of the Bulls rotation heading into the regular season. He is a good shooter, and if the Bulls can give him room to work, he could be one of the best floor spacers on this roster.
Basketball-Reference projects Thomas to average 16.1 points per 36 minutes, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks, this season. And he’s projected to shoot 43.8 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 80.5 percent from the free-throw line. Thomas will be able to make his Bulls’ regular season debut on Oct. 20 on the road against the Detroit Pistons.