2. Jerian Grant
I’ll admit it, perhaps I’ve been too kind in my criticisms of some of the players on this list. Whether we like it or not, these players were important pieces of Chicago Bull history, so I’ve tried to hold my tongue when it comes to scalding criticisms of their impact. Well, if you feel so inclined, now is the time to bring your pitchforks out.
It may seem like a distant memory now, but there was a time when Jerian Grant was public enemy No. 1 among Chicago Bulls fans. As part of the package that brought Lopez to Chicago and sent Rose and Holiday to New York, Grant was brought aboard to be Chicago’s next point guard. Not ready to accept the loss of Rose, I doubt fans would have been willing to accept even a solid point guard as a replacement, much less one as poor as Grant.
Jerian averaged 7.2 points and 3.4 assists as Chicago’s lead point guard, hardly anything worth getting excited over. The good news is that LaVine only had to endure one season with Grant as his backcourt running mate. The bad news is that Jerian’s replacements over the years were hardly any better.
Jerian Grant and Denzel Valentine are two of the biggest Bulls disappointments in recent memory.
1. Denzel Valentine
These final two players on this list proved to be the source of a great many frustrated Bulls fans, the second of which being Denzel Valentine. After averaging 10.2 points on 38.6% shooting from deep in his sophomore campaign, many held out high hopes for the former collegiate national player of the year to continue blazing his path in the NBA.
Now? He’s more known for taking arguably the single most illogical shot attempt in franchise history.
On top of his seemingly non-existent game IQ, Valentine also repeatedly struggled with injuries and staying on the court. Once Denzel lost the little athleticism he had in the first place, he became an easy target for opposing offenses. The once-promising lottery pick’s NBA career came to a close in just five seasons, and he never started a game for any team other than the Bulls. Valentine now plays for the Sydney Kings in Australia, with his only claim to fame being the fact he takes the top spot as the worst starter of the Zach LaVine era.