Realistic Expectations for Chicago Bulls Rookie Denzel Valentine in 2016-17

Denzel Valentine missed his first six shots in the Las Vegas Summer League championship game last week, and he didn’t score until the fourth quarter. But that didn’t scare the Chicago Bulls coaches from diagramming a play for the former Michigan State star in the final seconds of regulation while trailing by three points.

Valentine delivered, and then did so again in overtime, hitting a buzzer-beater to give the Bulls a summer-league title.

Share Tweet Embed

The faith in Valentine and the reward were not surprising to anyone who watched the guy the last few years at Michigan State. Valentine has his limitations—mostly a lack of NBA-level athleticism—but he makes up for it with intelligence, confidence and skill.

“From the day he walked into our facility, he hasn’t blinked,” Chicago assistant Pete Myers, who was the head coach of the summer-league squad, told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “We knew this kid was confident. He’s not afraid of big moments.

“I have this on the board in my office: ‘Aggressive failure.’ That’s what he shows all the time. He’s not afraid to fail and I love him for it.”

Valentine’s summer stat line looked somewhat underwhelming for a guy who split national player of the year awards with Buddy Hield. Valentine averaged 11.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, shooting 35.2 percent from the field—worst of all, he was just 25.5 percent from deep. 

But that undersells how clutch he was in big moments and his savviness with the ball in his hands. He not only made smart plays on both ends; he made the game easier for his teammates with his vision and pinpoint passes. 

And the most important number of all from his summer-league performance: 7-0, as in Chicago’s record. 

Team Fit

The Bulls went in a strange direction this offseason. After unloading Derrick Rose and letting Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah walk, it appeared they were trying to get younger, build around Jimmy Butler and create a roster that better fit the philosophies of head coach Fred Hoiberg. 

Then they signed Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, a contradiction to those three goals. Rondo and Wade are, like Butler, ball-dominant guards, and they’re on the wrong side of their career arcs.

So trying to figure out what Chicago is doing is challenging. The best guess is that the Bulls want winners and guys who understand how to play the game, and Hoiberg will figure out how to mold the pieces together. That would be a good explanation for why they grabbed Valentine as well.

Valentine is one …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com