Daily Bulls

Many didn’t expect much of the Summer League since Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosumnu wouldn’t play. But the Chicago Bulls had a successful Las Vegas trip and finished with a top 3 record at 4-1, with their lone loss coming against the New York Knicks, 101-69. Dalen Terry and Marko Simonovic were the two guys to watch out for, and they did not disappoint Chicago fans, but some players didn’t show up and weren’t impactful enough. Here are my Bulls Players Summer League Grades for the following players: Dalen Terry, Marko Simonovic, Carlik Jones, Malcolm Hill, Makur Maker, Justin Lewis, Javon Freemon-Liberty, and Ethan Thompson.

Dalen Terry

Stat Averages: 11.8 Points, 3.6 Rebounds, 1.2 assists

Two weeks before game one in Las Vegas, Dalen Terry got voted the most competitive player at the first team practice. Terry got more attention as the days got closer and the team and fans arrived in Las Vegas. During the first couple of Summer League games, everybody didn’t know their role, which was very obvious to Terry, who committed 13 turnovers in the first two games when operating the offense. But when he had more of an off-ball role on offense, he shined more as a cutter, finishing at the basket and during transitions. Playing off-ball well alongside DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine will be critical if he wants to find minutes off the bench this season.

Terry coming of the 2022 Draft, was known for his defensive versatility, and he made sure fans know that is his biggest strength. He could switch anytime, had good on-ball defense, rotated, and communicated. During timeouts, you can see Terry was the leader, especially in all of their games, and was a good teammate. He must improve his three-point shot, but that will come over time. Terry went 3-for-7 from that distance but isn’t scared of taking those kinds of shots.

The 18th Pick in the 2022 Draft was impressive and never filled up the stat sheet. His best performance was game four against the Hornets when he scored 20 points, shooting 8-for-12 from the field, 2-2 from three. Overall, he did what he was supposed to do, and now the question will be how Billy Donavon will find him minutes with their full roster.

Grade: A-

Marko Simonovic

Stat Averages: Stat Averages: 15.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 blocks

In the first game of the Summer League, Marko Simonovic got hot early, leading the Bulls with a game-winning free throw to complete the late comeback against the Dallas Mavericks. He finished the game with a double-double of 27 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 10-for-19 from the field.

In the next two games, he would show his biggest issue of being consistent. In game 2 to the New York Knicks, he got only 1 point and seven rebounds, shooting 0-for-5 in a 32-point loss. He gave promises of being better and responded by scoring at least 15 points in the next three games. But in game three against Toronto, he had another quiet game with 7 points and three rebounds, but Chicago won. Simonovic finally got going with a 17-point and 13 rebounds performance against Hornets 2022 first-round pick, Mark Williams. Next game, he got 26 points and eight rebounds, shooting 11-for-15 from the field in the finale against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Simonovic will likely spend most of the 2022-23 NBA season in the G League with the Windy City Bulls. The two biggest concerns with Simonovic are his three-point ability and paint defense. He has improved, going up to 240 pounds to hold more ground in the paint defense, but that wasn’t shown much during the Summer League. He shot 1-for-11 from three, which was his strength, but not right now. Simonovic had a solid Summer League showing with two double-doubles and became a threat with the pick-and-roll and offensive rebounds. Out of 44 total rebounds, he finished the Summer League with 17 offensive rebounds.

Grade: B+

Carlik Jones

Stat Averages: Stat Averages: 11.6 points, 6.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals

One of the biggest surprises of the Bulls Vegas squad was Carlik Jones. But Jones did struggle in game one like most of his teammates except for Simonovic and Hill; he had 6 points, shooting 1-for-7, and four turnovers. After that first game, he figured out his role and did everything he got asked to do in the final four games. Even though Chicago lost by 32 points in game 2, Jones had a solid performance of 13 points, shooting 5-for-6 from the field and only one turnover. In the final three games, he took full demand of the running offense instead of sharing offensive duties with Dalen Terry. That led to two more good performances with scoring in double-digits, including in game 3 shooting 100%, 7-for-7 from the field, which resulted in 17 points. Also, he led the team with assists in the final three games.

Jones, undrafted in the 2021 Draft, will get an invitation to a training camp and will helpfully earn a two-way contract with another team. Unfortunately, Chicago used their two two-way contracts on Justin Lewis and Javon Freemon-Liberty. Jones’s size at 6’1 and three-point shooting will be some question marks, but he had a solid Summer League showing. If no one offers him an NBA contract or two-way contract, Chicago might want to consider bringing in Jones on a G League Contract this fall.

Grade: B+

Malcolm Hill

Stat Averages: Stat Averages: 13.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals

Jones, undrafted in the 2021 Draft, will get an invitation to a training camp and will helpfully earn a two-way contract with another team. Jones’s size at 6’1 and three-point shooting will be some question marks, but he had a solid Summer League showing. If no one offers him an NBA contract or two-way contract, Chicago might want to consider bringing in Jones on a G League Contract this fall. Unfortunately, Chicago used their two two-way contracts on Justin Lewis and Javon Freemon-Liberty.

In his fourth Summer League appearance, he had another solid showing. He scored in double-digits every game, except when he got 5 points, shooting 2-for-10 from the field in their 32-point loss to the Knicks. His best performances were in the first game and the finale. In game 1, he helped Chicago complete the late comeback against the Dallas Mavericks and finished the game with 18 points, shot 4-for-6 from the field. In the finale, he scored 20 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the field and 3-for-5 from three. Hill was significant in all four offensive and defensive wins when the score got close.

Hill was the most reliable shooter in the Bulls Vegas team, shooting 9-for-19 from three in 5 games. He will find a two-way contract with an NBA team if he remains a consistent wing catch-and-shoot player. But Chicago, with their team being full with 17 players, including their two two-way contracts, Hill will find a new home with another team.

Grade: B

Makur Maker

Stat Averages: Stat Averages: 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists

After going undrafted in the 2022 draft, he proved his name should have been called on draft night. At 6’11, Maker could do everything from shooting, handling the ball, rebound, and passing. But he played a combined 18 minutes in the first two games and didn’t make his first shot until the third game against the Toronto Raptors.

In the final three games, he showed his ability to score and his versatility. The stats don’t show it, but he played well on the defensive end. Offensively, he scored in double-digits, including his 11-point performance, shooting 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from three. Important stat, Chicago was 4-0 when Maker played at least 10 minutes. Maker still has a long way to go to make the NBA and has turnover issues and rebounding. But hopefully, he will find a way to play in the G League and maybe in a Windy City Bulls uniform.

Grade: B-

Justin Lewis

Stat Averages: Stat Averages: 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals

Justin Lewis was projected to hear his name called during the second round of the NBA draft, but that never happened. Instead, Chicago, after the draft, signed Lewis to a two-way contract for the 2022-23 season. Lewis, at 6’7, has a similar play style and build to Bulls forward Patrick Williams and superstar Kawhi Leonard. He showed at Marquette University his versatility and ability to switch and guard positions 1-4.

However, he had a quiet showing in Las Vegas. He had some excellent moments of getting two blocks on back-to-back possessions against Mark Williams, a 7-footer, Hornets 2022 First Round Pick. Lewis had some explosive dunks in transition and showed he wants to run, which Chicago needed last season when Lonzo Ball went down in January. His best performance was in the finale when he scored 11 points, shooting 5-for-10 from the field.

Lewis has the talent to build a solid two-way player in the NBA, but he will have to develop his game in the G League with the Windy City Bulls. The biggest concerns with Lewis are his three-point shot ability and moving without the ball on offense. He shot 1-for-8 from three during the 2022 Summer League. Lewis will probably not get any minutes in the NBA since the roster is full at 15 players, but hopefully, he will play significant minutes in the G League.

Grade: C

Javon-Freemon Liberty

Stat Averages: Stat Averages: 6.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals

The second player the Chicago Bulls gave a two-way contract to was Javon- Freemon Liberty. Liberty grew up in Chicago and played at DePaul University, so he was excited when he got the contract. Liberty made the most of his chances and scored twice in the game opener (11 points, 5-for-9 from the field) and in the finale (11 points, 4-for-7 from the field).

He didn’t play terribly but didn’t play fantastic. Liberty made the right plays when controlling the offense off the bench. Expect Liberty to have more minutes and chances to shine with the Windy City Bulls. He will look to improve his playmaking and become a more consistent shooter.

Grade: C

Ethan Thompson

Stat Averages: Stat Averages: 6.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists

Thompson was one player I was excited to watch since he was with the Bulls in the 2021 Summer League and with the Windy City Bulls squad for the 2021-22 season. As with Makur Maker, he got more minutes in games 3-5. But he got 16 minutes and 6 points in the first two games, shooting 2-for-2 from the field. In 19 minutes of play against the Toronto Raptors, he scored 10 points, shooting 2-for-5 from the field, and did well on defense with two steals. His best performance was in the finale when he scored 12 points and shot 4-for-8.

Thompson, known as a three-point weapon, made 3 out of 10 three-point attempts and couldn’t find his swag on the Bulls in Vegas. Thompson will find a spot somewhere in the G League, but don’t be surprised if you hear his name with the Windy City Bulls next season.

Grade: C-

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