Chicago Bulls: 2 studs, 1 dud, from scrappy win over Raptors

Chicago Bulls studs from scrappy win over the Raptors: Javonte Green

I talked about it before he returned to the lineup for the Bulls in their Jan. 24 win over the Thunder. The former Boston Celtics shooting guard and undrafted free agent Javonte Green is one of the most underrated pieces of this Bulls team. It feels like he is finally starting to get appreciated for a lot of the dirty work he does that usually doesn’t get as much recognition as it should.

But there is still plenty more respect that Green deserves leaguewide than he’s actually getting so far this season.

Nonetheless, Green proved in this win over the Raptors just how crucial he is to this Bulls team. His hard work on and off-ball on both ends of the floor is incredibly valuable for Donovan and the Bulls. I have no problem saying that it is hard to see the Bulls winning this game without the insane efforts of Green on both ends of the floor.

There were plenty of choices for the two studs on this night for the Bulls. Stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine were special in this game. The same could be said for Troy Brown Jr. and even Tyler Cook at times. But Green deserves one of these spots.

In this win over the Raptors, Green gave the Bulls a dozen points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting from the field, 0-of-2 from beyond the arc, and 0-of-1 from the free-throw line. Green also came up with six rebounds (three of which came on the offensive glass), one assist, and no turnovers.

The impact Green had on this game for the Bulls is evident in his three offensive boards and some of the energy plays he had to really get this team going down the stretch.