The discourse surrounding Noa Essengue is all over the place. From a horrendous opening summer league performance to landing on the opposite end of one of the most embarrassing poster dunks in recent memory, Essengue's abbreviated summer league was far from renowned.
Nevertheless, Essengue rebounded quite nicely from his abysmal contest against the Toronto Raptors. He scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings in the Bulls' second game. Then, he dropped 21 points, including a 3-of-8 mark from downtown in a 114-105 win versus the Indiana Pacers.
Unfortunately, the 18-year-old rookie didn't see the floor again. He suffered a quad contusion against the Pacers and was held out as a precaution. All in all, Essengue averaged 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. The Frenchman converted 41.9 percent of his field goals and 26.7 percent of his three-pointers.
While Essengue's summer league performance showed plenty of promise, it doesn't mean he's anywhere near ready for a rotational role. He still has ways to go offensively and defensively.
Essengue's potential lack of playing time shouldn't be cause for concern
Despite being projected as an eventual starter in his rookie season, Essengue faces an uphill battle. For starters, he'll begin the year buried on the Bulls' depth chart. Chicago's wing unit isn't what it was when they spent the 11th overall pick on Matas Buzelis a year ago.
The aforementioned Buzelis is locked into a starting role as arguably the Bulls' most important player going forward. Suiting up next to Buzelis on the wing will be either Kevin Huerter, Isaac Okoro, or the incumbent Patrick Williams, who began last season as a starter but was benched in late January. Each of the three players has their unique strengths and weaknesses, but Okoro fills Chicago's biggest need alongside Josh Giddey and Coby White—defense. Therefore, we'll assume Okoro takes on the starting small forward gig.
That means Huerter and the ever-expensive Williams will come in in relief of Buzelis and Okoro. With Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones set to back up White and Giddey, former first-round pick Dalen Terry will also be thrown into the mix to compete for minutes on the wing. But don't forget Julian Phillips! The 6-foot-8 forward has impressed as a prototypical 3-and-D forward.
Besides a deep forward unit to break through, Essengue will have to deal with his own developmental warts. He'll be a transition threat from the get-go, but that's about it. Essengue's learning curve will first come as he encounters the physicality and speed of the NBA—something that caught him off guard in the summer league.
Furthermore, while there's an early pathway for Essengue to see the floor, it won't be for long stretches, unless the game is out of hand, of course. Billy Donovan will likely rely on Essengue as an energizer on the defensive end.
Although Essengue was the 11th overall pick, he's not guaranteed playing time, and when he doesn't see much action, fans shouldn't worry. Essengue won't turn 19 years old until December 18. A season ago, the Bulls had already played 27 games before the Frenchman's birthday. If Essengue hasn't carved out a role by the time he turns 19, it'll be far from noteworthy.