Promising Chicago Bulls guard earns All-Summer League honors

After Patrick Williams in 2021 and Marko Simonovic in 2022, the Chicago Bulls are no strangers to having players ball out in the Summer League. So when a member of the Bulls earned an All-Summer League selection for the third consecutive year in a row, I can’t exactly say I was 100% surprised.

I was surprised, however, to see just who this breakout player was. With all eyes on sophomore Dalen Terry to have a breakout second season, it was actually Javon Freeman-Liberty who hit the ground running. Chipping in over 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists per game on elite efficiency, JFL was the biggest reason why Chicago massively outperformed expectations and went 3-2 on the Summer League circuit.

His efforts earned him All-Summer League Second Team honors. He was so good in fact, that many media members believe he deserved to be ranked even higher.

Javon Freeman-Liberty was a revelation for the Bulls during the 2023 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Here’s how the All-Summer League Teams were eventually decided, with an interesting six players selected to the Second Team while the First Team hosted the typical five that we’re used to seeing.

All-Summer League First Team

• Keyonte George, G, Jazz
• Sam Merrill, G, Cavaliers
• Hunter Tyson, F, Nuggets
• Cam Whitmore, F, Rockets (MVP)
• Orlando Robinson, C, Heat

All-Summer League Second Team

• Max Christie, G, Lakers
• Javon Freeman-Liberty, G, Bulls
• Xavier Moon, G, Clippers
• Emoni Bates, F, Cavaliers
• Jabari Smith Jr., F, Rockets
• Jalen Wilson, F, Nets

Had Keyonte George and Sam Merrill each played so extraordinarily well, Freeman-Liberty would have certainly been among the First Team. In most years, his performance would have been more than good enough to secure a spot. Even when stacked up directly against George and Merrill, the gap wasn’t nearly as large as you might have originally believed.

• Freeman-Liberty: 5 Games, 21.2 PTS, 4.6 REB, 4.4 AST, 49.3 FG%, 46.2 3P%
• George: 3 Games, 21.7 PTS, 2.7 REB, 6.3 AST, 52.3 FG%, 46.2 3P%
• Merrill: 5 Games, 20.4 PTS, 4.0 REB, 2.8 AST, 45.6 FG%, 44.6 3P%

As you can see, Freeman-Liberty was right up there with the best of them in Las Vegas. His performance in the Summer League was enough to rally the fanbase around him in full support, and if he’s lucky, it might just mean he’s on the brink of earning a spot on the Bulls’ full roster for the 2023-24 campaign.