Chicago Bulls select Noa Essengue - #12 overall

[DuckIII]

I agree, but i just don't think there's star potential there unless a miracle happens. He can still be a really good player and that can be worth waiting for. We're not contending anytime soon anyway, so we can afford to be patient.

I agree with you is that the Bulls can afford to be patient, but I don't trust the front office. I imagine that they'll continue to fight to make the play-in and never tank or do anything that will help give the team a higher draft pick. In doing so it's possible that Noa will get limited minutes to develop (that remains to be seen) and if he doesn't work out then where does that leave the team?

I guess you could argue that either way the team needs more talent, so it's worth the risk.

We it’s only been 27 years since this organization won a championship. I guess we can be patient and wait another 27 years. Maybe then the Bulls will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals one more time.

Were you under the impression we were going to win 39 games, pick 12th, and then go to the ECF next year?

It’s perhaps more important than ever that the Bulls be patient this year and next. So far so good on that front.

The prior 27 years don’t mean anything today. Thinking that way is how you screw yourself.

[Chi town]

I’m not low on him, cause he’s got the specs to pan out, but you know a special player when he hits the floor… and just given this draft’s talent pool and depth, I’m concerned despite the tiny SL sample. Even with his bricks, SL D-Rose was moving effortlessly with the ball. As was Giannis (and hitting contested 3s).

Got that vibe from Flagg. Yang too. Queen had a lot of TOs but you could also see a lot of talent.

Anyway, I’ll catch today’s game. It’s just a drag we likely have a Hutchison-Patrick-Snell-Wendell project (before we concluded they stink) — no idea where he’ll be. A murky handle (and inconsistent shot to boot) make for a very murky ceiling. I’ll forever believe that you use lottery picks on tall and/or athletic ballhandlers/creators or super shooters, unless there is some unique DPOY ceiling. But generally jack of all trade defenders who need to develop poor shooting and handles are not worth it.

I’m sorry, but you don’t go from zero face-up game to superstar in 4Y. You go from zero to decent. Now we know he wasn’t drafted for the handle, but some of those strips were just plain concerning. He obviously played heavily off the ball in his euro experience (and he will here too), but you typically draft (or don’t draft) a guy when you find something that hasn’t been magnified yet.

I wonder what the hell this scouting staff looked at in workouts. The guy looks like he has zero potential in the half court. Which would be fine, it there weren’t multiple other tall ballhandling freaks in the mid lotto.

I have a bit of a different take on him than some others. It's clear to me by the way he moves that he has the instincts to be a guard/wing but obviously grew into the size of a power forward. He wants to move with the ball in his hands but seems to be currently looking to learn how to play in the post. This is not surprising to me because of his thin frame. Given how long he is it's just a matter of him gaining weight and growing into a true big man.

Joakim Noah also came in the league like a stick but had a high basketball IQ. He also had that same type of instincts where he wanted to play small but transitioned to a big man role. If I recall when he was young he supposedly was a point guard but then grew into the size of a big man and had to learn that style of play. It wasn't until his third season that Noah, who is one of the best rebounders in Bulls history, reached a TRB% of 20+. And considering that Noah graduated college he was not a young rookie like Essengue.

What tells me that he actually has potential to be very good (assuming he fills out his frame) is that there is a big difference between raw athleticism and raw talent. When Tyrus Thomas came into the league he had raw athleticism and the thought process was that the Bulls were getting the next Amare Stoudemire if he could put it all together. But he had virtually no ball handling skills, no consistent jump shot, no passing skills, etc. He was good at dunking and blocking shots. And he never really truly put everything together to be an impact player in the league or anything beyond a semi-decent role player.

Essengue looks like a guy with raw talent. The size is there, the skillset is (he can actually move with the ball in his hands as a big man), but his frame needs to fill out and he needs to develop consistency. The potential is there. Whether he fulfills his potential we will have to see. But this is the type of pick that's made for the future. It will either be a home run pick with all-star potential or he will have a career as bench role player. If you get the latter at 12 that's still not terrible value for a late lottery pick given how many players in that range fizzle out of the NBA. The Bulls had to decide do they go with someone who can contribute now but has less star potential or take the project and swing for the fences? They chose the long-term plan. Given the construction of our roster currently I have no problem with them doing that since our roster is so young. Hopefully, it works out for both the Bulls and Essengue; we shall see.

I was impressed how his length played and how he moved his feet on the perimeter. He slid through screens really well.

Still like his comp as more of like a Chet. Rim protecting stretch big that can fly up and down the court.

[kodo]

Noa also scores 20 points against the Blazers in preseason. Both not regular season NBA games but not sure I'd weigh a SL game over a preseason NBA game against NBA starters, even if the Blazers.

He's super raw and I've said a dozen times and years away, but I disagree there's nothing to build on. Any 18 year old (and he was close to 17) who puts up 20 against an NBA team even in preseason has something worth checking out to see if he can develop.

If they wanted someone to contribute in the next year or two, this was absolutely the most wrong choice in the entire first round. This is like drafting Tyson Chandler, doing no development, and expecting him to anchor an elite NBA defense in his first year or two (oh but we did that).

I will say the pick was strange given our strategy. The playbook that makes sense is you draft high risk players like Noa, lose a ton of games, draft Dybantsa next draft, and keep rolling with talent. AK says we're contending, which means the draft pick will have zero value to improving the team this upcoming season.

[Chi town]

I agree with you is that the Bulls can afford to be patient, but I don't trust the front office. I imagine that they'll continue to fight to make the play-in and never tank or do anything that will help give the team a higher draft pick. In doing so it's possible that Noa will get limited minutes to develop (that remains to be seen) and if he doesn't work out then where does that leave the team?

I guess you could argue that either way the team needs more talent, so it's worth the risk.

We it’s only been 27 years since this organization won a championship. I guess we can be patient and wait another 27 years. Maybe then the Bulls will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals one more time.

Were you under the impression we were going to win 39 games, pick 12th, and then go to the ECF next year?

It’s perhaps more important than ever that the Bulls be patient this year and next. So far so good on that front.

The prior 27 years don’t mean anything today. Thinking that way is how you screw yourself.

Yep. Get rid of Vuc. Trade the vets at the deadline for value and draft your lead scorer.

Would love DP or Yes. DRose and Ant man. Some really could big men too in Cenac and Q.

[Chi town]

Noa also scores 20 points against the Blazers in preseason. Both not regular season NBA games but not sure I'd weigh a SL game over a preseason NBA game against NBA starters, even if the Blazers.

He's super raw and I've said a dozen times and years away, but I disagree there's nothing to build on. Any 18 year old (and he was close to 17) who puts up 20 against an NBA team even in preseason has something worth checking out to see if he can develop.

If they wanted someone to contribute in the next year or two, this was absolutely the most wrong choice in the entire first round. This is like drafting Tyson Chandler, doing no development, and expecting him to anchor an elite NBA defense in his first year or two (oh but we did that).

He should get more burn in the G league than Buz. Probably not even in rotation to begin the year. Prob in rotation by end of season whereas Buz was a starter. Gives us time to pump and dump Pat.

[Chi town]

He’s a freshman body playing against 5th year seniors.

Every time someone over-reacts to Noa looking like he doesn’t belong, please cut and paste this. It’s a perfectly brief summary.

They won’t be saying that when he plays in real games. These hack fests that you can’t foul out in known as the SL aren’t real games.

He will be fine in regular season and G League. He’s not ready for playoff physicality though. That will take two years. Buz probably isn’t ready for that now. We aren’t close to getting there so it doesn’t matter.

[jnrjr79]

Yeah you’re correct . My main concern is that he looked a little passive Tony Snell / Patrick Williams passive . I don’t mind him missing shots in summer league I just want him to be aggressive

He dribbled into the defense 3 times and got stripped effortlessly. You wanted him to keep doing that?

In summer league was he’s 18 years old? Hell yes. Next summer too. Why would you not? Hoping to win the games?

When they were interviewing Billy, he expressed this sentiment exactly. He said something like Noa would, in summer league, figure out what he can get away with and what he can’t.

[Dan Z]

A year has made a big difference for a guy like Tidjane Salaun

going to take similar time or more for Noa

I agree that it'll take time. My concern is...will it be worth it?

As per your example, Tidjane Salaun has shown improvement so far in Summer League and let's say he continues to improve. Towards the end of his rookie contract where is he? If he's all-star level that's great, but if he's just a solid starter then they've spent a lot of time/effort with not much to show for it.

I'll add that most people think Matas has the better potential (for good reason) and will be better during the course of their rookie contracts. He was also taken 5 spots after Salaun in the draft.

As for Essengue, I don't expect much in year one, but hope that he shows signs of potential.

I don’t really get your posts, Dan. You seem to be wringing your hands as though this is a unique situation. This is what the NBA draft is. Due diligence followed by hope.

He might be an elite superstar, low level allstar, average starter, below average specialty role player, or an awful bust. Welcome to the draft. We aren’t bad enough to draft guys who have it all.

In our situation, give me guys like Essengue every time over a solid floor lower ceiling guy you can predictably rely on early in his rookie deal. That is what free agency is for.

Also, Noa needing a full year before he can help in any meaningful way is a good thing. We don’t want win a lot this year. Hopefully in the win column we are notably worse.

I don't disagree with you and don't hate the pick. My concern is the front office and ownership more than anything else. The team needs more talent, so going for a player with upside is a good thing. However, the team's goal seems to be that they'll continue for the play-in/playoffs year in and year out.

That means they'll make minor moves like the trade for Okoro and potentially bury Noa on the bench. When the Bucks drafted Giannis (and again I don't think Noa has Giannis potential) they gave him ample opportunity to develop. In his rookie year he played 77 games with an average of 24.6 minutes per game.

The hope is that in a few years Noa looks like a potential all-star level player. Will he be? Who knows. Does he have a better chance of getting there over players taken after him (Kasparas Jakucionis, Yang Hansen, Joan Beringer, Walter Clayton, etc.)....that's debatable. However, I bet all those players will contribute more this year, and next, than Noa.

I've said this before, but the New Orleans trade is what the Bulls should've done (because I think it has the potential to get a player with star level potential), but that ship as sailed.

I say all this and I want Essengue to succeed because I'm a Bulls fan. Hopefully he shows potential in his next few games.

[rosenthall]

I understand why they drafted Noa, but if it takes his entire rookie contract for him to learn basketball then that's not good.

That's 4 years waiting for him to be productive on some level. If he becomes a star then it might not matter, but if he's okay or a little above average then that's a lot of time/effort spent on a player that doesn't bring much back in return.

I know Giannis is a rarity and I'm not suggesting Noa will be as good as him, but in his third year Giannis averaged 16.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Year four he was an all-star and most improved player.

The Bulls need more talent and someone with star potential to build around/with. Could Matas be that player? Maybe, but I doubt it. He seems like a good player, but not really your #1. Same with Giddey.

But, that's what you sign up for with these types of players. There is absolutely a chance that Essengue is learning for most of or the entirety of his rookie contract. There's absolutely a chance that by the end of his rookie contract, he's not even close to the upside people were promoting. Maybe he's average at best by then?

And he'd still have immense potential too, because he'd only be 21 years old.

This is my issue with fan reaction to these types of players. People whine about "playing it too safe" and not "swinging for the fences", but they aren't patient enough to actually see player development all the way through. I still think all these direct and indirect Giannis comps aren't doing him any favors. I will not be shocked when people are flipping during his rookie season (Not saying that's you).

He's 18 and he wasn't exactly dominant in his league. He isn't really refined in any particular areas. He shows flashes of things that can make a great 5 minute highlight reel, but flashes aren't entire games. There are going to be a lot of struggles for a while. There's a good chance other players picked below him will look better in the short-term, because they know their games and are better at basketball today.

To add to this, I think people need to internalize that for most players, particularly those who are 20 or younger coming into the league, player development is usually a 5-7 year process, and "who a player is" isn't totally determined until they're about 25-26 years old.

You'll definitely see signs before they reach steady state,, but it won't be until Noa's second contract until we have a reliable read on who he is as a player. And that's absolutely a reason to value him lower than other guys in a similar range.

On the plus side -- as raw as he looked, you can easily see traits that project well for the role he'll likely play his first 3 years in the league. I'm pretty sure he's going to play the DJJ role of garbage man wing, small-ball 5. His perimeter mobility, second jump and quickness off his feet all looked like they'd translate in that role.

His offensive responsibilities will almost certainly be drastically limited compared to what we saw yesterday, so we can probably just discard it as anything meaningful for next season.

[DuckIII]

He was bad. He's going to be bad a lot. And not just in summer league. He's 18 and sushi raw.

I've been posting here for decades. Posters come and go and ages and experience vary so I'm not trying to cover everyone with the same blanket. But every year is the same thing when it comes to SL and I don't get it. I know it sounds condescending, but it gives me the sense that some people just don't have much experience with summer league, what it means, and how to scout it depending on what type of player you drafted.

Here's the two most important things Noa did all game, in how I go about evaluating SL:

(1) The double block/interference on his left side of the paint and then the right, which showed his quick reaction speed and second jump ability. Noa has a strong vertical for a player his height, but in my view raw vertical means less than a player's ability to leap quickly a second time. I consider it a superior defensive predictor than raw vert because of the quickness component.

(2) On one completely non-descript play that no one is going to remember, he was defending in the corner in a set half court defense and had to react and cover ground to the top of the key and did it in the blink of an eye.

All the raw, unrefined stuff can and will improve. To what degree? Don't know. But it will. But those two things ^^^ can't be taught. They matter infinitely more to evaluating summer league play with projects like Noa than does turning it over while trying to do a dribble move against a set defense. That's the type of thing you start worrying about after 2 years.

Now, if you drafted someone like Derrick Queen or Thomas Sorber who, though young, were desirable players in part because of their more well-rounded skill level and ability to make an impact quickly, and they go to summer league and fall all over themselves and show they can't get their already polished stuff off against SL scrubs, then you've got something to worry about. And even then you shouldn't worry too much. These are kids. And in the case of a guy like Essengue, not kids who have specialized in basketball since they were 10 and have been receiving high level skill training for a decade.

[DuckIII]

I’m not low on him, cause he’s got the specs to pan out, but you know a special player when he hits the floor…

That is very frequently not at all true.

[Bulliever2020]

Going to keep this brief as it's 1 SL game. Give me a break, not much can be gleaned from this and some of these hot takes are hilarious.

Offensively, he looked beyond pitiful, the handle is just not there at all yet

Defensively, he showed a lot of flashes to me and great instincts and made me excited for his potential on that end of the floor

He is a years long project so just hoping I see some steady improvement from this baseline.

[DuckIII]

He’s a freshman body playing against 5th year seniors.

Every time someone over-reacts to Noa looking like he doesn’t belong, please cut and paste this. It’s a perfectly brief summary.

They won’t be saying that when he plays in real games. These hack fests that you can’t foul out in known as the SL aren’t real games.

He will be fine in regular season and G League. He’s not ready for playoff physicality though. That will take two years. Buz probably isn’t ready for that now. We aren’t close to getting there so it doesn’t matter.

Eh. He's going to be a net negative player this year even if he can provide some reliable defense. I just don't think he's going to play much this year. Between Collins, Matas, Smith, Okoro and Pat there will be plenty of guys available to play his minutes.

[Dan Z]

Noa also scores 20 points against the Blazers in preseason. Both not regular season NBA games but not sure I'd weigh a SL game over a preseason NBA game against NBA starters, even if the Blazers.

He's super raw and I've said a dozen times and years away, but I disagree there's nothing to build on. Any 18 year old (and he was close to 17) who puts up 20 against an NBA team even in preseason has something worth checking out to see if he can develop.

If they wanted someone to contribute in the next year or two, this was absolutely the most wrong choice in the entire first round. This is like drafting Tyson Chandler, doing no development, and expecting him to anchor an elite NBA defense in his first year or two (oh but we did that).

I will say the pick was strange given our strategy. The playbook that makes sense is you draft high risk players like Noa, lose a ton of games, draft Dybantsa next draft, and keep rolling with talent. AK says we're contending, which means the draft pick will have zero value to improving the team this upcoming season.

I agree with you about that (what's in bold above).

It's good that AK seems to have patience with the pick, but if the overall strategy isn't patience then what are they doing?

[fleet]

I’m not low on him, cause he’s got the specs to pan out, but you know a special player when he hits the floor… and just given this draft’s talent pool and depth, I’m concerned despite the tiny SL sample. Even with his bricks, SL D-Rose was moving effortlessly with the ball. As was Giannis (and hitting contested 3s).

Got that vibe from Flagg. Yang too. Queen had a lot of TOs but you could also see a lot of talent.

Anyway, I’ll catch today’s game. It’s just a drag we likely have a Hutchison-Patrick-Snell-Wendell project (before we concluded they stink) — no idea where he’ll be. A murky handle (and inconsistent shot to boot) make for a very murky ceiling. I’ll forever believe that you use lottery picks on tall and/or athletic ballhandlers/creators or super shooters, unless there is some unique DPOY ceiling. But generally jack of all trade defenders who need to develop poor shooting and handles are not worth it.

I’m sorry, but you don’t go from zero face-up game to superstar in 4Y. You go from zero to decent. Now we know he wasn’t drafted for the handle, but some of those strips were just plain concerning. He obviously played heavily off the ball in his euro experience (and he will here too), but you typically draft (or don’t draft) a guy when you find something that hasn’t been magnified yet.

I wonder what the hell this scouting staff looked at in workouts. The guy looks like he has zero potential in the half court. Which would be fine, it there weren’t multiple other tall ballhandling freaks in the mid lotto.

I have a bit of a different take on him than some others. It's clear to me by the way he moves that he has the instincts to be a guard/wing but obviously grew into the size of a power forward. He wants to move with the ball in his hands but seems to be currently looking to learn how to play in the post. This is not surprising to me because of his thin frame. Given how long he is it's just a matter of him gaining weight and growing into a true big man.

Joakim Noah also came in the league like a stick but had a high basketball IQ. He also had that same type of instincts where he wanted to play small but transitioned to a big man role. If I recall when he was young he supposedly was a point guard but then grew into the size of a big man and had to learn that style of play. It wasn't until his third season that Noah, who is one of the best rebounders in Bulls history, reached a TRB% of 20+. And considering that Noah graduated college he was not a young rookie like Essengue.

What tells me that he actually has potential to be very good (assuming he fills out his frame) is that there is a big difference between raw athleticism and raw talent. When Tyrus Thomas came into the league he had raw athleticism and the thought process was that the Bulls were getting the next Amare Stoudemire if he could put it all together. But he had virtually no ball handling skills, no consistent jump shot, no passing skills, etc. He was good at dunking and blocking shots. And he never really truly put everything together to be an impact player in the league or anything beyond a semi-decent role player.

Essengue looks like a guy with raw talent. The size is there, the skillset is (he can actually move with the ball in his hands as a big man), but his frame needs to fill out and he needs to develop consistency. The potential is there. Whether he fulfills his potential we will have to see. But this is the type of pick that's made for the future. It will either be a home run pick with all-star potential or he will have a career as bench role player. If you get the latter at 12 that's still not terrible value for a late lottery pick given how many players in that range fizzle out of the NBA. The Bulls had to decide do they go with someone who can contribute now but has less star potential or take the project and swing for the fences? They chose the long-term plan. Given the construction of our roster currently I have no problem with them doing that since our roster is so young. Hopefully, it works out for both the Bulls and Essengue; we shall see.

I like the idea of your post. If he was developing game as a wing, he wasn’t adept enough to complete the task at the size he is growing into. Ideally he’d be Kevin Durant. So, no. He’s got to develop more as a mobile big with *some* theoretical ball skills, and figuring that out is his next task. And hopefully is a “good” kind of tweener. Long term deal here. I think his ticket to minutes is going to be flexible defense sooner than the offense, where he’s gonna take some work.

[Dan Z]

Every time someone over-reacts to Noa looking like he doesn’t belong, please cut and paste this. It’s a perfectly brief summary.

They won’t be saying that when he plays in real games. These hack fests that you can’t foul out in known as the SL aren’t real games.

He will be fine in regular season and G League. He’s not ready for playoff physicality though. That will take two years. Buz probably isn’t ready for that now. We aren’t close to getting there so it doesn’t matter.

Eh. He's going to be a net negative player this year even if he can provide some reliable defense. I just don't think he's going to play much this year. Between Collins, Matas, Smith, Okoro and Pat there will be plenty of guys available to play his minutes.

Do you think Essengue spends most of the year in the G League? It wouldn't surprise me and he does need reps, but I do wonder how good the g league is with player development (overall).

[DuckIII]

I agree that it'll take time. My concern is...will it be worth it?

As per your example, Tidjane Salaun has shown improvement so far in Summer League and let's say he continues to improve. Towards the end of his rookie contract where is he? If he's all-star level that's great, but if he's just a solid starter then they've spent a lot of time/effort with not much to show for it.

I'll add that most people think Matas has the better potential (for good reason) and will be better during the course of their rookie contracts. He was also taken 5 spots after Salaun in the draft.

As for Essengue, I don't expect much in year one, but hope that he shows signs of potential.

I don’t really get your posts, Dan. You seem to be wringing your hands as though this is a unique situation. This is what the NBA draft is. Due diligence followed by hope.

He might be an elite superstar, low level allstar, average starter, below average specialty role player, or an awful bust. Welcome to the draft. We aren’t bad enough to draft guys who have it all.

In our situation, give me guys like Essengue every time over a solid floor lower ceiling guy you can predictably rely on early in his rookie deal. That is what free agency is for.

Also, Noa needing a full year before he can help in any meaningful way is a good thing. We don’t want win a lot this year. Hopefully in the win column we are notably worse.

I don't disagree with you and don't hate the pick. My concern is the front office and ownership more than anything else. The team needs more talent, so going for a player with upside is a good thing. However, the team's goal seems to be that they'll continue for the play-in/playoffs year in and year out.

That means they'll make minor moves like the trade for Okoro and potentially bury Noa on the bench. When the Bucks drafted Giannis (and again I don't think Noa has Giannis potential) they gave him ample opportunity to develop. In his rookie year he played 77 games with an average of 24.6 minutes per game.

The hope is that in a few years Noa looks like a potential all-star level player. Will he be? Who knows. Does he have a better chance of getting there over players taken after him (Kasparas Jakucionis, Yang Hansen, Joan Beringer, Walter Clayton, etc.)....that's debatable. However, I bet all those players will contribute more this year, and next, than Noa.

I've said this before, but the New Orleans trade is what the Bulls should've done (because I think it has the potential to get a player with star level potential), but that ship as sailed.

I say all this and I want Essengue to succeed because I'm a Bulls fan.

I still don't get it. What does the FO and ownership have to do with Noa? They drafted him. The rest is up to him and the staff. Is the speculation that we could have taken the same trade that Atlanta took going to color your analysis?

Hopefully he shows potential in his next few games.

Its always nice and reassuring when Bulls players play well, but he's already done that. Your posts reveal that you place pretty significant weight on SL play, and there's no real reason to do that.

[fleet]

Houly crap are some people negative after one game lol.. chillax! He is 18 and still raw prospect, same as Giannis was.. Noa is long term project and with right developement he should be fine player for us.

After what fans went thru with this same exact process for Patrick Williams, they should be allowed to vent. And the impatience with Pat was actually the right call. Noa will be on a shorter leash as a result of coming right on Pat’s heals. If there is similar stagnation, there will understandably be less apologetic posting this time. For now, Noa is going to be given grace. In year 2 or 3, not so much without discernible progress. Being 19 and 20 years old won’t be adequate to call off the dogs

[Dan Z]

I don’t really get your posts, Dan. You seem to be wringing your hands as though this is a unique situation. This is what the NBA draft is. Due diligence followed by hope.

He might be an elite superstar, low level allstar, average starter, below average specialty role player, or an awful bust. Welcome to the draft. We aren’t bad enough to draft guys who have it all.

In our situation, give me guys like Essengue every time over a solid floor lower ceiling guy you can predictably rely on early in his rookie deal. That is what free agency is for.

Also, Noa needing a full year before he can help in any meaningful way is a good thing. We don’t want win a lot this year. Hopefully in the win column we are notably worse.

I don't disagree with you and don't hate the pick. My concern is the front office and ownership more than anything else. The team needs more talent, so going for a player with upside is a good thing. However, the team's goal seems to be that they'll continue for the play-in/playoffs year in and year out.

That means they'll make minor moves like the trade for Okoro and potentially bury Noa on the bench. When the Bucks drafted Giannis (and again I don't think Noa has Giannis potential) they gave him ample opportunity to develop. In his rookie year he played 77 games with an average of 24.6 minutes per game.

The hope is that in a few years Noa looks like a potential all-star level player. Will he be? Who knows. Does he have a better chance of getting there over players taken after him (Kasparas Jakucionis, Yang Hansen, Joan Beringer, Walter Clayton, etc.)....that's debatable. However, I bet all those players will contribute more this year, and next, than Noa.

I've said this before, but the New Orleans trade is what the Bulls should've done (because I think it has the potential to get a player with star level potential), but that ship as sailed.

I say all this and I want Essengue to succeed because I'm a Bulls fan.

I still don't get it. What does the FO and ownership have to do with Noa? They drafted him. The rest is up to him and the staff. Is the speculation that we could have taken the same trade that Atlanta took going to color your analysis?

Hopefully he shows potential in his next few games.

Its always nice and reassuring when Bulls players play well, but he's already done that. Your posts reveal that you place pretty significant weight on SL play, and there's no real reason to do that.

I agree with you that SL is mostly meaningless, so I don't put a lot of weight on it.

My concern is what I said in another reply...that the Bulls front office wants to win now, so why did they pick Essengue? I doubt they'll play the youngsters and let them learn through their mistakes and I'd be surprised if they did anything to maximize the 2026 pick. Is the plan that in four years the Bulls hope to have an all-star level player and then it's time to compete? I'm glad that AK picked a player that has upside and want to believe that he has patience to build this roster, but it's the "build the roster" part that I have my doubts about.

[DuckIII]

It's good that AK seems to have patience with the pick, but if the overall strategy isn't patience then what are they doing?

I think the drafting of Essengue itself is evidence that the Bulls have decided to not be terribly impatient. At least not this season. One can point to the trade for Okoro as evidence the Bulls are looking for immediate impact players, but there are alternative rationales that are equally applicable:

(a) They went for Okoro because they believe he's a buy-low guy with some real untapped upside; or

(b) They figure he's good low-cost, low-commitment way to push Pat in the hopes he can recover some value.

I look at what the Bulls did last summer through today, and I don't see a team gunning to maximize wins next year. I realize those of us who have been advocating a longer term rebuild for years have PTSD due to AK's repeat imbecility, but if you ignore the name of the GM and look at the moves they suggest a very young team looking to pause things a year and develop. Which is not the same as tanking, but a whole helluva lot better than what we have been doing.