Earlier this week, we had the chance to hear from Torrey Craig, which was a great chance to get a little more insight into the Chicago Bulls’ most recent free agent acquisition. Craig figures to play a big role for this team next year, but he’s more of a known quantity at this point. So when it was announced that the Bulls’ newest rookie Julian Phillips would also be doing an AMA with fans at this year’s Bulls Fest, I was excited to hear more from the young talent.
Phillips averaged 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds for the Tennessee Volunteers last year, providing a two-way presence that piqued the interest of scouts all around the league. His efforts would earn him All-SEC Freshman Team honors alongside a few other highly-touted prospects like Brandon Miller, Anthony Black, Cason Wallace, and GG Jackson.
With Derrick Jones Jr. and Javonte Green set to depart in free agency, the Bulls were in desperate need of depth at the forward positions. Ideally, Phillips will be able to slot right in for Chicago, as his defensive versatility should translate rather seamlessly to the NBA. There’s certainly room to grow as a shooter, but if he can manage to accomplish that with the Bulls’ new shooting coach Peter Patton, Phillips may end up being one of the bigger steals from the 2023 NBA Draft.
Here’s what Phillips had to say to Bulls fans as they asked him a few questions ahead of his crucial rookie season. You can also read every question Phillips answered on Reddit here.
Julian Phillips took to Reddit to answer questions straight from the fans at this year’s Bulls Fest.
Q) Any Bulls players you’ve been inspired by or enjoyed watching growing up?
"“Obviously, Michael Jordan. I didn’t get to see him play, but watching him back on film it really shows how dominant of a player he was and how much of a force he was in the league, so it’s fun watching him.”"
Q) What part of your game are you working on the hardest going into your first season?
"“Just a lot of time in the weight room getting stronger and just basketball, a lot of shooting and just trying to well-round my game as much as possible.”"
Q) Who on the team do you think will have a breakout year (aside from yourself)?
"“DT, Justin Lewis, Jevon Carter, I’ve seen those guys working out a lot here over the summer.”"
Q) How has working with Coach Patton been? Do you feel like he’s helped you improve your shot?
"It’s been great, he has a lot of attention to detail when working out and he has a lot of great information and he’s really helpful in workouts. It’s really been a blessing to have him and work with him."
Q) What’s more satisfying for you, scoring against a tough defense or locking up a good player?
"“Probably scoring on somebody that’s going all out on defense. It’s harder than it looks, especially when it’s 5 on 5.”"
Q) What NBA matchup are you looking forward to the most?
"“Probably guys like LeBron, KD, guys like that that I’ve been watching since I was a kid so it’ll be exciting to take the floor with them.”"
If there’s ever a point this season where we see Phillips matched up against either LeBron or Durant, things have gone disastrously wrong, but I have to admit, I do admire his optimism here. If Phillips can continue bringing this energy to the Bulls locker room next season, he may just end up becoming a perfect end-of-the-bench piece worth developing for the future.