Daniel Oturu making a lot of noise with the Windy City Bulls

As the Chicago Bulls look to move beyond some of the depth shortages the team faced in the last month or so due to COVID-19-related issues, some of the new additions to the roster won’t get as much playing time. The Bulls also won’t have to draw as many players away from the G-League affiliate Windy City Bulls as they did last month.

It is still worth noting, though, the players down in the G-League that are playing at an extremely high level to start off the season. While the Windy City Bulls are off to a slow start this season in terms of win-loss record, there are some intriguing names to watch on this roster in the weeks and months ahead.

There are also some players on the Windy City roster that are off to a solid start in this G-League season that Chicago’s front office and coaching staff should be paying close attention to. A name that should really stick out to them is the former Minnesota Golden Gophers standout center Daniel Oturu.

As likely the most productive and efficient player on the Windy City roster to begin the season, Oturu has impressed thus far. He’s looked like one of this squad’s best players through his first eight games played of the season.

Through the first eight games of the season, Oturu has averaged around 20 points per game, 10 rebounds, three assists, 0.5 steals, and two blocks. And he’s shot around 61 percent from the field, 37 percent from beyond the arc, and 71 percent from the free-throw line.

Chicago Bulls could have a promising big man for the future in Daniel Oturu

Oturu has shown he can be an adept rim-protecting and floor-spacing big man that can be incredibly versatile. While it’s different playing at the five in the G-League compared to the NBA, the strides that Oturu is showing in his game should be catching the attention of the Bulls’ front office and coaching staff.

What Oturu is bringing to the table for Windy City is something that would be very valuable in the NBA. He’s truly becoming one of the best rebounders in the G-League on both ends of the floor. Oturu is especially potent on the offensive glass, where he is averaging more than four offensive rebounds per game with more an offensive rebounding percentage north of 13.0.

Oturu is also proving to be an exceptional rim protector. That might just be due to a lack of formidable competition compared to what he would face in the NBA. But averaging more than two blocks per game in the G-League with a block percentage around six is nothing to scoff at.

Maybe one of the biggest developments in Oturu’s game, though, is his insane offensive versatility. He’s turned what was always a good fundamental shooting stroke into an offensive skill set where he is a consistent and legitimate threat from beyond the arc. Oturu is also a very adept scorer around the rim, with a mid-range pull-up game that is continuing to get better.

The biggest qualm that I would still have with Oturu’s game is inconsistent on-ball defense and managing turnovers. Oturu is averaging just shy of three turnovers per game, which is around the same number of assists he’s averaging per game. You would ideally like to see that number at least come down by one turnover per game, which would indicate his court vision is improving to a point where he could be a good distributor of the ball from inside-out on offense.

All in all, I believe that Oturu’s developments early in this G-League season for the Windy City Bulls is something that should be putting management in the Chicago Bulls’ organization in focus. He could be a developmental piece that could be a part of this frontcourt unit in the next year or two if he keeps progressing the way he has of late.

A tough season for the G-League affiliate Windy City Bulls has them at a mark of 2-8 through the first 10 games of this campaign. Oturu’s play is certainly a bright spot through this tough start to the season for Windy City, though.