Entering the 2022 NBA Summer League, I doubt many expected the Chicago Bulls to be among the top teams competing in Las Vegas. Thanks in large part to the dominance of big man Mark Simonovic, the Bulls posted a 4-1 record and finished 3rd place in the Summer League’s final standings.
Simonovic posted averages of 15.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2 assists across Chicago’s five games and was the most consistent source of production on a game-by-game basis for the Bulls. This includes a 27-point outing against Dallas to kick things off as well as a 26-point performance to close things out in the final game against Philadelphia.
To honor his impressive performance, the NBA has officially designated Marko to the 2022 All-Summer League Second Team. With this being the first real piece of hardware in Simonovic’s NBA career, I’m sure he’s looking forward to continuing adding to the collection in the future,
Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies), Bennedict Mathurin (Indiana Pacers), Marko Simonović (Chicago Bulls), Trendon Watford (Portland Trail Blazers) and Lindell Wigginton (Milwaukee Bucks) have been named to the NBA 2K23 All-Summer League Second Team. pic.twitter.com/Jpvysm5jLP
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) July 18, 2022
After leading the Chicago Bulls to a surprising 3rd place finish in Las Vegas, Marko Simonovic has been named to the 2022 All-Summer League Team.
As a member of the All-Summer League Team, Simonovic is in accomplished company. He joins other players such as Bennedict Mathurin, Santi Aldama, Lindell Wigginton, and Summer League champion Trendon Watford. The five players selected for the First Team include Keegan Murray, Tari Eason, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Cam Thomas, and Quentin Grimes, the same Quentin Grimes who dropped 24 points on the Bulls in their head-to-head matchup.
It’s hard to make a real case for Simonovic being worthy of a First Team nomination against that competition, so it’s a relief to see him receive his due regardless.
Patrick Williams also earned an All-Summer League Second Team nomination in 2021, so SImonovic keeps the trend going here. Marko also joins Wendell Carter Jr., Bobby Portis, Jimmy Butler, Tony Snell, and Doug McDermott as Bulls who have received an All-Summer League Team designation in recent memory.
This may not ultimately mean anything by the time the regular season rolls around, but at the very least we know Simonovic has been committed to improving as a player and the results speak for themselves. Whether or not he has it in him to earn a spot in the rotation on the main roster remains to be seen, but Marko has proven he’ll be a worthy challenger either way it turns out.