Bulls Summer League

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

-PWill have it all. It was nice to see him in the pick and roll, showing patience, finding guys. He still doesn't play with enough force though. He's way too strong and skilled to be at the rim so seldom.

-Marko looks like a PF. Wouldn't shock me if his defensive limitations at C were similar to Lauri's at the end of the day. I think he's skilled enough for the 4, though. Just a matter of whether his speed holds up there.

-Ayo doesn't look like a plus NBA athlete. And his game needs him to be.

-I really like Dotson. Is he too ultimately too small? Maybe. I really want to believe he isn't though. He's so quick and heady. Nice finishing flashes, too.

[Red8911]

Sounds like Williams had a tough second half. I’m only 5 minutes into that half, but quick early impressions:

1. I’m glad he’s there, but Williams is completely beyond summer league talent. It continues to be clear to me that if he gets his head right, Williams is going to be a major star in a few years. What an incredible talent.

2. Simonovic looked very nice. Much more mobile than I expected and good offensive feel. Belongs.

3. Ayo. Belongs.

The three most important guys look good.

Get back to me once you finish the game.

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Unless Pat drop kicked the Bulls coach and walked back on the court and took a **** at half court, nothing in the second half will change my mind. Anyone scouting 19 year olds based on complete results rather than traits and progress is doing it wrong.

We should start regarding him as a 20 year old not 19. His birthday is in a couple of weeks.

[Brothaman33]

I thought both Ayo and Marko looked fine for their very first game. Ayo is slithery and I thought he had a bit of jitters. Looking forward to seeing him get comfortable.

Marko did not look like just a stiff, has some movement for a 7 footer but yes...defense is gonna be an issue.

For me, Pat has everthing you need from a size/weight/athleticism standpoint.

I'm more concerned about his mind and decision making. The talent is all there.

[23-7]

Eye roll. Everything is so reactionary this time of year. I thought most of the bulls looked gassed. Thought ayo was trying to find his way. First game. Marko only played 15 mins not sure why. Next game everyone will swing the other way.

[DuckIII]

Get back to me once you finish the game.

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Unless Pat drop kicked the Bulls coach and walked back on the court and took a **** at half court, nothing in the second half will change my mind. Anyone scouting 19 year olds based on complete results rather than traits and progress is doing it wrong.

We should start regarding him as a 20 year old not 19. His birthday is in a couple of weeks.

That doesn’t change anything. But if you want to call a 19 year old a 20 year old, that’s fine by me.

[drosestruts]

No big takeaway from the game. Liked Williams in the first half, he had some good rebounds and immediately turned to push the ball himself up court, that's one thing I hope carries over to the regular season.

Marko looked fine, whistles went his way on 2/3 of his dunk attempts, if those don't go his way his output looks a lot worse. Gets a body on guys on box outs.

Ayo looked very rehearsed to me out there, one play in particular I remember his defender falling down and instead of moving towards the basket, he continued his spin to step-back jumper for absolutely no reason. Ended up taking a more difficult shot that it looked like he pre-decided he was going to take.

Don't see anyone else after game 1 making the NBA roster, granted only one game.

I have the Bulls roster at 12 players - will be curious who they look to fill our the remaining spots with. Some will obviously be dictated by the Lauri situation.

[Stratmaster]

Sounds like Williams had a tough second half. I’m only 5 minutes into that half, but quick early impressions:

1. I’m glad he’s there, but Williams is completely beyond summer league talent. It continues to be clear to me that if he gets his head right, Williams is going to be a major star in a few years. What an incredible talent.

2. Simonovic looked very nice. Much more mobile than I expected and good offensive feel. Belongs.

3. Ayo. Belongs.

The three most important guys look good.

Get back to me once you finish the game.

Sent from my SM-G965U using RealGM mobile app

Unless Pat drop kicked the Bulls coach and walked back on the court and took a **** at half court, nothing in the second half will change my mind. Anyone scouting 19 year olds based on complete results rather than traits and progress is doing it wrong.

What do you see that leads you to the future star conclusion. What are you scouting him on?

Sent from my SM-G965U using RealGM mobile app

[DuckIII]

Get back to me once you finish the game.

Sent from my SM-G965U using RealGM mobile app

Unless Pat drop kicked the Bulls coach and walked back on the court and took a **** at half court, nothing in the second half will change my mind. Anyone scouting 19 year olds based on complete results rather than traits and progress is doing it wrong.

What do you see that leads you to the future star conclusion. What are you scouting him on?

Sent from my SM-G965U using RealGM mobile app

This summer mostly his offense since that is reported to be, and was obvious when watching, the focal point for him.

He’s being asked to do everything out there offensively and showed a lot of nice things. Footwork, euro steps, vision, step backs, dribble drives, all of it.

His defense was poop but I don’t think they want him going all out on that end. It’s all about his offense this summer.

And his physical package is elite.

[sco]

A few things:

On Pat - I liked him in the role of ball handler/distributor. He ran into trouble when he tried to be an iso scorer. He doesn't have any moves so he could create space to get of a good shot. I think it's good that he tried it...gives him stuff to work on. I liked that he was trying to set picks and actually make contact. I also liked his rebounding effort. His defense was hit and miss...has to work on staying with his man around screens. Honestly, I just want him to survive summer league uninjured and have the chance to work on moves.

On Ayo - I had (wrongly) hoped that the org would "Coby" him and see if he's a PG. We have little use for him as a SG. He looks limited physically and skill-wise. Can we put him on a 2-way contract? Just don't want to waste a roster spot.

On Marko - He has a nice offensive skillset. He's quick. He's less of C than Lauri was...no back-to-the-basket game, not a rim protector. He plays like an oversized SF.

On Dotson - Dude doesn't look special at anything. Undersized, don't see his supposed quickness getting him any separation. Nothing special as a facilitator. Are we committed to him? Hope not.

On Shittu - Good energy guy on both ends. Not a rim protector. We can do better for vet min, but we could do worse.

On Spellman - Looks fat, with limited skillset.

On Baxter - He looked springy, but hardly played (at least I hope he didn't because I saw him involved in 2 plays the whole game)...we're not even keeping him on a 2-way.

[Stratmaster]

Unless Pat drop kicked the Bulls coach and walked back on the court and took a **** at half court, nothing in the second half will change my mind. Anyone scouting 19 year olds based on complete results rather than traits and progress is doing it wrong.

What do you see that leads you to the future star conclusion. What are you scouting him on?

Sent from my SM-G965U using RealGM mobile app

This summer mostly his offense since that is reported to be, and was obvious when watching, the focal point for him.

He’s being asked to do everything out there offensively and showed a lot of nice things. Footwork, euro steps, vision, step backs, dribble drives, all of it.

His defense was poop but I don’t think they want him going all out on that end. It’s all about his offense this summer.

And his physical package is elite.

Well... I can't really agree about his physical package being elite.

6'7 215 (or 6'10" 240' if you believe the reactions today) is pretty nice, but by no means rare in the NBA. He isn't exceptionally fast, quick or strong.

Again, I think he has a solid future as a starter in the NBA. I don't think he is really starter quality yet, but he will be in a couple seasons. I do get he is only 20.

I just don't see the "future star" some do. I would love to be wrong because if he is a star the sky is the limit for the Bulls. Hell, if he is an above average 4 this season and next the Bulls look pretty damned good.

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[MrSparkle]

A few things:

On Pat - I liked him in the role of ball handler/distributor. He ran into trouble when he tried to be an iso scorer. He doesn't have any moves so he could create space to get of a good shot. I think it's good that he tried it...gives him stuff to work on. I liked that he was trying to set picks and actually make contact. I also liked his rebounding effort. His defense was hit and miss...has to work on staying with his man around screens. Honestly, I just want him to survive summer league uninjured and have the chance to work on moves.

On Ayo - I had (wrongly) hoped that the org would "Coby" him and see if he's a PG. We have little use for him as a SG. He looks limited physically and skill-wise. Can we put him on a 2-way contract? Just don't want to waste a roster spot.

On Marko - He has a nice offensive skillset. He's quick. He's less of C than Lauri was...no back-to-the-basket game, not a rim protector. He plays like an oversized SF.

On Dotson - Dude doesn't look special at anything. Undersized, don't see his supposed quickness getting him any separation. Nothing special as a facilitator. Are we committed to him? Hope not.

On Shittu - Good energy guy on both ends. Not a rim protector. We can do better for vet min, but we could do worse.

On Spellman - Looks fat, with limited skillset.

On Baxter - He looked springy, but hardly played (at least I hope he didn't because I saw him involved in 2 plays the whole game)...we're not even keeping him on a 2-way.

Wait a minute... We're dumping Ayo to 2-way after 1 summer league game?

Holy cow that is harsh.

[sco]

A few things:

On Pat - I liked him in the role of ball handler/distributor. He ran into trouble when he tried to be an iso scorer. He doesn't have any moves so he could create space to get of a good shot. I think it's good that he tried it...gives him stuff to work on. I liked that he was trying to set picks and actually make contact. I also liked his rebounding effort. His defense was hit and miss...has to work on staying with his man around screens. Honestly, I just want him to survive summer league uninjured and have the chance to work on moves.

On Ayo - I had (wrongly) hoped that the org would "Coby" him and see if he's a PG. We have little use for him as a SG. He looks limited physically and skill-wise. Can we put him on a 2-way contract? Just don't want to waste a roster spot.

On Marko - He has a nice offensive skillset. He's quick. He's less of C than Lauri was...no back-to-the-basket game, not a rim protector. He plays like an oversized SF.

On Dotson - Dude doesn't look special at anything. Undersized, don't see his supposed quickness getting him any separation. Nothing special as a facilitator. Are we committed to him? Hope not.

On Shittu - Good energy guy on both ends. Not a rim protector. We can do better for vet min, but we could do worse.

On Spellman - Looks fat, with limited skillset.

On Baxter - He looked springy, but hardly played (at least I hope he didn't because I saw him involved in 2 plays the whole game)...we're not even keeping him on a 2-way.

Wait a minute... We're dumping Ayo to 2-way after 1 summer league game?

I know there are a lot of Illini fans here, but he's a 2nd rounder, half of those guys either get cut or put on 2-way deals. My point is that he would be benefitted by playing in g-league, and he doesn't seem to have a skillset that would look to bring anything to the current Bulls roster. I'd 100x prefer Arci on a vet min deal for us next year.

[nekorajo]

I hope Patrick stays aggressive. Defensively I'm not convinced that I see the starting 4, but time will tell. I hope AKME has a solid backup PF in mind.

Marko looks like he has no hops and no strength. Not a great combination for a big. I hope my eyes were deceiving me. On a positive note, his shooting stroke looks promising.

Ayo looks like a rookie.

Dotson- poor decision maker. Not impressed.

[Red8911]

Unless Pat drop kicked the Bulls coach and walked back on the court and took a **** at half court, nothing in the second half will change my mind. Anyone scouting 19 year olds based on complete results rather than traits and progress is doing it wrong.

We should start regarding him as a 20 year old not 19. His birthday is in a couple of weeks.

That doesn’t change anything. But if you want to call a 19 year old a 20 year old, that’s fine by me.

Yeah I know just saying in a couple of weeks he’s 20 lol. So everyone is aware of that. You’re right though doesn’t change anything.

[Red8911]

A few things:

On Pat - I liked him in the role of ball handler/distributor. He ran into trouble when he tried to be an iso scorer. He doesn't have any moves so he could create space to get of a good shot. I think it's good that he tried it...gives him stuff to work on. I liked that he was trying to set picks and actually make contact. I also liked his rebounding effort. His defense was hit and miss...has to work on staying with his man around screens. Honestly, I just want him to survive summer league uninjured and have the chance to work on moves.

On Ayo - I had (wrongly) hoped that the org would "Coby" him and see if he's a PG. We have little use for him as a SG. He looks limited physically and skill-wise. Can we put him on a 2-way contract? Just don't want to waste a roster spot.

On Marko - He has a nice offensive skillset. He's quick. He's less of C than Lauri was...no back-to-the-basket game, not a rim protector. He plays like an oversized SF.

On Dotson - Dude doesn't look special at anything. Undersized, don't see his supposed quickness getting him any separation. Nothing special as a facilitator. Are we committed to him? Hope not.

On Shittu - Good energy guy on both ends. Not a rim protector. We can do better for vet min, but we could do worse.

On Spellman - Looks fat, with limited skillset.

On Baxter - He looked springy, but hardly played (at least I hope he didn't because I saw him involved in 2 plays the whole game)...we're not even keeping him on a 2-way.

Wait a minute... We're dumping Ayo to 2-way after 1 summer league game?

Holy cow that is harsh.

He’s lucky they didn’t waive him. Just wait for it the next game he underperforms lol.

[JohnnyTapwater]

That Baxter goal-tending POPPED!

I feel like he saw no time after that. That perplexed me.

[MGB8]

I just hope on Pat they don’t push him to be a scorer and focus too much on offense. His ticket in the Bulls is defense and basically being the 5th option. More than Bogans, but not *that* much more.

Focus on the D first, then let the offense develop over time so Bulls can evaluate after DeRozan and Vuc’s contracts are up.

[MrSparkle]

A few things:

On Pat - I liked him in the role of ball handler/distributor. He ran into trouble when he tried to be an iso scorer. He doesn't have any moves so he could create space to get of a good shot. I think it's good that he tried it...gives him stuff to work on. I liked that he was trying to set picks and actually make contact. I also liked his rebounding effort. His defense was hit and miss...has to work on staying with his man around screens. Honestly, I just want him to survive summer league uninjured and have the chance to work on moves.

On Ayo - I had (wrongly) hoped that the org would "Coby" him and see if he's a PG. We have little use for him as a SG. He looks limited physically and skill-wise. Can we put him on a 2-way contract? Just don't want to waste a roster spot.

On Marko - He has a nice offensive skillset. He's quick. He's less of C than Lauri was...no back-to-the-basket game, not a rim protector. He plays like an oversized SF.

On Dotson - Dude doesn't look special at anything. Undersized, don't see his supposed quickness getting him any separation. Nothing special as a facilitator. Are we committed to him? Hope not.

On Shittu - Good energy guy on both ends. Not a rim protector. We can do better for vet min, but we could do worse.

On Spellman - Looks fat, with limited skillset.

On Baxter - He looked springy, but hardly played (at least I hope he didn't because I saw him involved in 2 plays the whole game)...we're not even keeping him on a 2-way.

Wait a minute... We're dumping Ayo to 2-way after 1 summer league game?

I know there are a lot of Illini fans here, but he's a 2nd rounder, half of those guys either get cut or put on 2-way deals. My point is that he would be benefitted by playing in g-league, and he doesn't seem to have a skillset that would look to bring anything to the current Bulls roster. I'd 100x prefer Arci on a vet min deal for us next year.

He might hit the G-League regardless.. but I think the plan with Ayo is gonna be to strengthen him up past 200 lb. He's pretty crafty but he's not gonna much done against NBA guards with his speed, but if he puts on muscle to that lanky wing-span, he should be a pretty good tall guard with PG skills.

Honestly feel the same thing with Coby. Unless these guys bail on their NBA careers, they both ought to be much better versions of themselves in a few years.

[RagingBull316]

My worry with Pat being handed a starting job last year is it's making him very passive. He doesn't hustle for loose balls, and stands around and watches too much.

What motivation does he have to improve if he is already told he is good enough to be the 4th pick and already good enough to be a starter. We made the same mistake developing Lauri/Dunn/Carter. These guys were entitled to start and they often weren't aggressive and didn't improve because of it.

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[Jcool0]

ahhh Summer League... where non NBA players look like future MVPs & future MVPs look like non NBA players.