Free Noa.

[PaKii94]

He looks a bit awkward in the long legs and footwork, which is my 1 main concern. I would bet 75 cents (out of a $100) on him becoming a perennial all-star. (Which imo is very rare and exclusive… so I don’t mean 75c as an insult… ya know, like top-30 player most your whole career… maybe $3 on Matas).

I see a Siakam angle. If he settles into PF or spot-minute C (with more weight), I see star potential. But as a hybrid wing, I don’t see it.

My preference is for him to just play 9th man, instead of injury reserve. Get this fella a low-minute role. I tend to agree that G-League is a waste of time.

One reason why I was not super high on him before the draft is that his gait is very awkward for a high ceiling player. I think it puts a ceiling on his offensive game because it's hard to imagine him developing the fine motor control to have above average ball skills for his size. But one thing I've noticed is that he's very good at getting to spots before other players and then turning that into a positive disruption, on both offense and defense. A little Mirotic-like when I think about it.

However, I'm still having a hard time pegging what his ceiling is. Despite his young age, I feel better about his floor than his ceiling. He seems well suited to be a high impact defensive role player. Not sure if I see him becoming more than that.

I know it seems like an over used excuse but he's sooo young! The awkward movements is because he's still growing into his body and learning how to use it. Give him time to season

[MrSparkle]

He looks a bit awkward in the long legs and footwork, which is my 1 main concern. I would bet 75 cents (out of a $100) on him becoming a perennial all-star. (Which imo is very rare and exclusive… so I don’t mean 75c as an insult… ya know, like top-30 player most your whole career… maybe $3 on Matas).

I see a Siakam angle. If he settles into PF or spot-minute C (with more weight), I see star potential. But as a hybrid wing, I don’t see it.

My preference is for him to just play 9th man, instead of injury reserve. Get this fella a low-minute role. I tend to agree that G-League is a waste of time.

One reason why I was not super high on him before the draft is that his gait is very awkward for a high ceiling player. I think it puts a ceiling on his offensive game because it's hard to imagine him developing the fine motor control to have above average ball skills for his size. But one thing I've noticed is that he's very good at getting to spots before other players and then turning that into a positive disruption, on both offense and defense. A little Mirotic-like when I think about it.

However, I'm still having a hard time pegging what his ceiling is. Despite his young age, I feel better about his floor than his ceiling. He seems well suited to be a high impact defensive role player. Not sure if I see him becoming more than that.

I know it seems like an over used excuse but he's sooo young! The awkward movements is because he's still growing into his body and learning how to use it. Give him time to season

At 19, you're not learning a new running gait.

I'm actually surprised how he's able to come up with some loose balls and rebounds. Some good hands and instincts, I think. But the legs are definitely pretzels. TBF, it didn't stop Haliburton from being an elite guard.

[PaKii94]

One reason why I was not super high on him before the draft is that his gait is very awkward for a high ceiling player. I think it puts a ceiling on his offensive game because it's hard to imagine him developing the fine motor control to have above average ball skills for his size. But one thing I've noticed is that he's very good at getting to spots before other players and then turning that into a positive disruption, on both offense and defense. A little Mirotic-like when I think about it.

However, I'm still having a hard time pegging what his ceiling is. Despite his young age, I feel better about his floor than his ceiling. He seems well suited to be a high impact defensive role player. Not sure if I see him becoming more than that.

I know it seems like an over used excuse but he's sooo young! The awkward movements is because he's still growing into his body and learning how to use it. Give him time to season

At 19, you're not learning a new running gait.

I'm actually surprised how he's able to come up with some loose balls and rebounds. Some good hands and instincts, I think. But the legs are definitely pretzels. TBF, it didn't stop Haliburton from being an elite guard.

Yeah he's not going to reinvent himself but he is still learning his body

[rosenthall]

He looks a bit awkward in the long legs and footwork, which is my 1 main concern. I would bet 75 cents (out of a $100) on him becoming a perennial all-star. (Which imo is very rare and exclusive… so I don’t mean 75c as an insult… ya know, like top-30 player most your whole career… maybe $3 on Matas).

I see a Siakam angle. If he settles into PF or spot-minute C (with more weight), I see star potential. But as a hybrid wing, I don’t see it.

My preference is for him to just play 9th man, instead of injury reserve. Get this fella a low-minute role. I tend to agree that G-League is a waste of time.

One reason why I was not super high on him before the draft is that his gait is very awkward for a high ceiling player. I think it puts a ceiling on his offensive game because it's hard to imagine him developing the fine motor control to have above average ball skills for his size. But one thing I've noticed is that he's very good at getting to spots before other players and then turning that into a positive disruption, on both offense and defense. A little Mirotic-like when I think about it.

However, I'm still having a hard time pegging what his ceiling is. Despite his young age, I feel better about his floor than his ceiling. He seems well suited to be a high impact defensive role player. Not sure if I see him becoming more than that.

I know it seems like an over used excuse but he's sooo young! The awkward movements is because he's still growing into his body and learning how to use it. Give him time to season

I think he'll grow into his body and get more core strength as he gets older, and this will probably help him become slightly more fluid as an athlete. But gait, stride and fine motor skills seem like they develop much earlier than 18 years old.

I think maybe an example of what this could look like is Tyson Chandler. He was pretty gangly and awkward as a rookie and eventually filled out. It definitely helped him develop as a defender, but it didn't really help him develop ball skills.

[GuardianEnzo]

One reason why I was not super high on him before the draft is that his gait is very awkward for a high ceiling player. I think it puts a ceiling on his offensive game because it's hard to imagine him developing the fine motor control to have above average ball skills for his size. But one thing I've noticed is that he's very good at getting to spots before other players and then turning that into a positive disruption, on both offense and defense. A little Mirotic-like when I think about it.

However, I'm still having a hard time pegging what his ceiling is. Despite his young age, I feel better about his floor than his ceiling. He seems well suited to be a high impact defensive role player. Not sure if I see him becoming more than that.

I know it seems like an over used excuse but he's sooo young! The awkward movements is because he's still growing into his body and learning how to use it. Give him time to season

I think he'll grow into his body and get more core strength as he gets older, and this will probably help him become slightly more fluid as an athlete. But gait, stride and fine motor skills seem like they develop much earlier than 18 years old.

I think maybe an example of what this could look like is Tyson Chandler. He was pretty gangly and awkward as a rookie and eventually filled out. It definitely helped him develop as a defender, but it didn't really help him develop ball skills.

Tyson Chandler would be a great result. He was a DPOY and multiple NBA All-Defense guy.

Also worth pointing out that Tyson was older than Noa when he came in as a rookie, despite going in directly out of high school. A reminder of how young Essengue really is.

[Ice Man]

He looks a bit awkward in the long legs and footwork, which is my 1 main concern. I would bet 75 cents (out of a $100) on him becoming a perennial all-star. (Which imo is very rare and exclusive… so I don’t mean 75c as an insult… ya know, like top-30 player most your whole career… I'd put $15 on Matas though).

I was going to post that Matas is worth a lot more than $3 because that's the number that shows up in a quote on the next page, but I see that you edited and upgraded that figure. I would say $20, so we're close now.

Noa's odds are much lower because we haven't yet seen that he can be any kind of player. He's barely had court time and he's looked really raw when he's been out there. But they're surely higher than 75 cents. Maybe $3 in his case?

[MrSparkle]

He looks a bit awkward in the long legs and footwork, which is my 1 main concern. I would bet 75 cents (out of a $100) on him becoming a perennial all-star. (Which imo is very rare and exclusive… so I don’t mean 75c as an insult… ya know, like top-30 player most your whole career… I'd put $15 on Matas though).

I was going to post that Matas is worth a lot more than $3 because that's the number that shows up in a quote on the next page, but I see that you edited and upgraded that figure. I would say $20, so we're close now.

Noa's odds are much lower because we haven't yet seen that he can be any kind of player. He's barely had court time and he's looked really raw when he's been out there. But they're surely higher than 75 cents. Maybe $3 in his case?

Ha yes, my odds were way too low there for Matas.

With Noa, his shooting is also a question. So with subpar handles… I do see him more of a role-player profile, ala Mikal… who doesn’t make ASGs.

[rosenthall]

I know it seems like an over used excuse but he's sooo young! The awkward movements is because he's still growing into his body and learning how to use it. Give him time to season

I think he'll grow into his body and get more core strength as he gets older, and this will probably help him become slightly more fluid as an athlete. But gait, stride and fine motor skills seem like they develop much earlier than 18 years old.

I think maybe an example of what this could look like is Tyson Chandler. He was pretty gangly and awkward as a rookie and eventually filled out. It definitely helped him develop as a defender, but it didn't really help him develop ball skills.

Tyson Chandler would be a great result. He was a DPOY and multiple NBA All-Defense guy.

Also worth pointing out that Tyson was older than Noa when he came in as a rookie, despite going in directly out of high school. A reminder of how young Essengue really is.

I was talking more about Tyson Chandler's physical development than player level, although I could see Noa developing into a player at Tyson's level, even if they play differently.

Tyson was all skin and bones when he came into the league and was extremely awkward when he tried to play offense. Adding weight gave him the ability to be more physically balanced when he played, so he didn't flail all over the place, but that by itself wasn't enough to give him any sort of bag that he could use against defenses.

[sco]

I think he'll grow into his body and get more core strength as he gets older, and this will probably help him become slightly more fluid as an athlete. But gait, stride and fine motor skills seem like they develop much earlier than 18 years old.

I think maybe an example of what this could look like is Tyson Chandler. He was pretty gangly and awkward as a rookie and eventually filled out. It definitely helped him develop as a defender, but it didn't really help him develop ball skills.

Tyson Chandler would be a great result. He was a DPOY and multiple NBA All-Defense guy.

Also worth pointing out that Tyson was older than Noa when he came in as a rookie, despite going in directly out of high school. A reminder of how young Essengue really is.

I was talking more about Tyson Chandler's physical development than player level, although I could see Noa developing into a player at Tyson's level, even if they play differently.

Tyson was all skin and bones when he came into the league and was extremely awkward when he tried to play offense. Adding weight gave him the ability to be more physically balanced when he played, so he didn't flail all over the place, but that by itself wasn't enough to give him any sort of bag that he could use against defenses.

I don't know why folks are looking for Noa to play C. He's a clear PF. He's got no post game. His path to becoming good will stem from shooting 3's and off cuts to the basket. He's not a good 3pt shooter now, and my main reason for wanting him to get a good run in g-league is to work on that part of his game. He's an active defender and his length can become a good tool. I also like his aggressiveness going to the rim (although he needs to also work on his ft's - he has decent form but still needs a shooting coach early in his career). His long legs seem to help him going north and south...when you watch him run, he doesn't look fast but he covers so much ground he actually is quite fast, but his lateral mobility is questionable - I doubt he'll be guarding PG's, but maybe he'll be able to use his long arms to make up for it. I think anyone looking for a Matas-like rookie season ascension needs to adjust their expectations.

[Rose2Boozer]

I thought Matas Buzelis should've played more games with the Windy City Bulls for the first half of last season. I think the same should be done with Noa Essengue. Let him run with the Windy City Bulls, and after the trade deadline let him start alongside Matas. We have to see the combination of Giddey, Buzelis, and Essengue in the starting lineup before the season is over.

Why do we have to see that?

Why not? Who are the team prioritizing over Essengue? Okoro and Huerter? Nah, man. I would let Noa run with the Windy City Bulls for the first half the season. After the trade deadline, I would be looking to see Matas with more on ball responsibilities, and Noa playing off Giddey, Matas, and Coby. That's the future, and the team really doesn't gain anything by waiting.

[WindyCityBorn]

I thought Matas Buzelis should've played more games with the Windy City Bulls for the first half of last season. I think the same should be done with Noa Essengue. Let him run with the Windy City Bulls, and after the trade deadline let him start alongside Matas. We have to see the combination of Giddey, Buzelis, and Essengue in the starting lineup before the season is over.

Why do we have to see that?

Why not? Who are the team prioritizing over Essengue? Okoro and Huerter? Nah, man. I would let Noa run with the Windy City Bulls for the first half the season. After the trade deadline, I would be looking to see Matas with more on ball responsibilities, and Noa playing off Giddey, Matas, and Coby. That's the future, and the team really doesn't gain anything by waiting.

I asked why we needed to see him start? Are they gonna hand him entitlement minutes like they did Pat or should he earn it like Buzelis did.

[ghostinthepost1]

DNP in a game where Okoro, Terry, and Smith combined to go 0/10.

At least watching those Windy City Bulls and pregame workout highlights will be fun.

Read on Twitter

[Indomitable]

He looks a bit awkward in the long legs and footwork, which is my 1 main concern. I would bet 75 cents (out of a $100) on him becoming a perennial all-star. (Which imo is very rare and exclusive… so I don’t mean 75c as an insult… ya know, like top-30 player most your whole career… maybe $3 on Matas).

I see a Siakam angle. If he settles into PF or spot-minute C (with more weight), I see star potential. But as a hybrid wing, I don’t see it.

My preference is for him to just play 9th man, instead of injury reserve. Get this fella a low-minute role. I tend to agree that G-League is a waste of time.

One reason why I was not super high on him before the draft is that his gait is very awkward for a high ceiling player. I think it puts a ceiling on his offensive game because it's hard to imagine him developing the fine motor control to have above average ball skills for his size. But one thing I've noticed is that he's very good at getting to spots before other players and then turning that into a positive disruption, on both offense and defense. A little Mirotic-like when I think about it.

However, I'm still having a hard time pegging what his ceiling is. Despite his young age, I feel better about his floor than his ceiling. He seems well suited to be a high impact defensive role player. Not sure if I see him becoming more than that.

I know it seems like an over used excuse but he's sooo young! The awkward movements is because he's still growing into his body and learning how to use it. Give him time to season

Let him get stronger

[DuckIII]

DNP in a game where Okoro, Terry, and Smith combined to go 0/10.

While I certainly agree Terry has no business being in any game, ever, over Noa, last night's game was not for Noa either. There's nothing wrong with the Bulls taking their time with him this early in the season, even with DNPs.

This is not a situation where we have a bunch of known, old role players taking his opportunities. His minutes will also largely come at the expense of other guys we are trying to evaluate as well. And I say this as someone with zero of the concerns being expressed in this thread about his gait, athleticism, handle, etc. I think he's an excellent prospect.

[kodo]

DNP in a game where Okoro, Terry, and Smith combined to go 0/10.

At least watching those Windy City Bulls and pregame workout highlights will be fun.

Read on Twitter

Him blowing 2 layups in a layup drill at 0:14 and 0:41 might be pretty good reason to not play him in a one possession game.
That being said a lot of our players were zeros on offense, and he's as good as the smaller guys at sticking to his man.

He definitely can't replace Smith though and box out Duren, Smith is filled out and grabbed some boards. The Furphy incident clearly showed he has a ways to go in terms of muscle to play center, can't imagine what Duren would have done to him.

[dougthonus]

However, I'm still having a hard time pegging what his ceiling is. Despite his young age, I feel better about his floor than his ceiling. He seems well suited to be a high impact defensive role player. Not sure if I see him becoming more than that.

He doesn't seem to have a base offensive skillset to grow into a set of elite offensive skills. Anything is possible in the sense that some guys can make crazy leaps, but that feels pretty unlikely.

He was drafted 12 though, there's really almost no reason to think any player drafted 12 has much likelihood of becoming an elite player. Of course some will, but his skillset really isn't in that mold, and he isn't some freak athlete with freak size. He's good in both places, but not crazy good. He seems to have high basketball IQ, but isn't particularly highly skilled.

I'll be happy if he's a low rung starter. Not that he can't be more than that, but let's hit that bar first.

[Chi town]

Noa as a 17 year old against the Blazers in preseason…

https://youtu.be/HrH1euDPP_k?si=roK-aD3Dfotau3c3

[sco]

However, I'm still having a hard time pegging what his ceiling is. Despite his young age, I feel better about his floor than his ceiling. He seems well suited to be a high impact defensive role player. Not sure if I see him becoming more than that.

He doesn't seem to have a base offensive skillset to grow into a set of elite offensive skills. Anything is possible in the sense that some guys can make crazy leaps, but that feels pretty unlikely.

He was drafted 12 though, there's really almost no reason to think any player drafted 12 has much likelihood of becoming an elite player. Of course some will, but his skillset really isn't in that mold, and he isn't some freak athlete with freak size. He's good in both places, but not crazy good. He seems to have high basketball IQ, but isn't particularly highly skilled.

I'll be happy if he's a low rung starter. Not that he can't be more than that, but let's hit that bar first.

At his draft position, he seemed to have as high of a potential ceiling as anyone left, but due to how raw he is, the floor is pretty low. It all depends on his development skillwise and physically. He is so young, it's hard to project.

At this point, I think we can just hope that he responds well to his coaching and gets the right experience to develop. I think Billy, in comparing him to Matas, his defense is ahead but his offense is behind. This season, I'm just looking for flashes of great play to give me confidence in his development. For him to see consistent minutes, we'll probably need to see him make FT's consistently and start making 3's on an improving basis. I think his defense is already good enough to get him on the floor. Also, when I see him next to many NBA players, he doesn't look meaningfully too skinny to be out there.

[MGB8]

Noa is all projection with a pretty large delta.

He does not have Matas’ bend or handle coming in. But he is just as fluid, has similar body control, and greater length.

He has enough handle, passing instinct, and form on shot to view improvement as very possible.

I still don’t love the pick for fit purposes - I think the (defensive) 3 and 4 are occupied by Giddey and Matas for the foreseeable future, with a need to play 2 perimeter defenders next to those two, so they drafted a raw, swing for the fences but likely backup 3-4.

At the same time, I do see higher upside than most - not Giannis level, but Giannis-play-style / some similar advantages (versatility on D, on O using speed/explosion/quickness+length advantage to get past smaller defenders of cuts and dribble at elite conversion rate) if everything goes just right. So I can’t be too mad. But I am more conservative re draft - and if was going to take boom bust risk, would have gone Beringer for fit / need for defensive backstop… or even more the NOLA trade.

[dougthonus]

DNP in a game where Okoro, Terry, and Smith combined to go 0/10.

While I certainly agree Terry has no business being in any game, ever, over Noa, last night's game was not for Noa either. There's nothing wrong with the Bulls taking their time with him this early in the season, even with DNPs.

I don't mind them taking their time, but every second Jalen Smith was on the floor, I thought "Noa couldn't be any worse than this"