The Chicago Bulls competed in their first game of Summer League action on Friday night. They took down the Toronto Raptors in an ugly slugfest that ended in a very low score of 83-74. Obviously, a solid takeaway from that score could be the great defense being played, but in reality, it was just a healthy reminder that Summer League is Summer League for a reason.
Chicago rolled out a 10-man lineup, with Will Yoakum and Tyree Appleby being the only two players who didn’t see the court. As a team, the Bulls shot just 39.0% from the field and 34.5% from deep. Definitely not ideal.
With that said, we’ll be starting a notebook, recapping some of the top points from each Summer League game. Let’s take a look at Game 1.
Bulls Summer League Notebook: Nate Darling's shooting
The overall efficiency wasn’t quite there from Nate Darling as he shot 6-for-15 from the field, but his showing from deep, shooting 3-of-7 from distance, was solid.
I mean, talk about a quick trigger https://t.co/GQGDl8AGOA pic.twitter.com/jM1lZ4Z9mB
— Bulls Wire (@Bulls_Wire) July 7, 2023
For a Bulls team that is in desperate need of three-point shooting, he is certainly a guy to keep an eye on, especially with how quick of a trigger he has.
He reeks of a player who could be the league’s next Max Strus, and at 24 years old, he still has time to develop.
And don’t worry about him losing confidence, because based on his first Summer League game, he has one of the quickest triggers you’ll ever see from a three-point shooter. There is no hesitation there.
Bulls Summer League Notebook: Adama Sanogo looked off
The Bulls signed UConn product Adama Sanogo to a two-way contract at the conclusion of the 2023 NBA Draft after the big man went undrafted.
He won a National Championship with the Huskies this past year and is a very intriguing talent, but in his Summer League debut, he looked a bit off.
Sanogo seemed lost at times on the floor and was often out of place, scrambling to get into place for screens or fumbling the ball after receiving an unexpected pass. He also didn’t look too quick on his feet, which is a bit concerning for an undersized big.
Obviously, it was just his first game, and that could all be because of rust or not being used to his new teammates. There’s a chance that all of these findings will get thrown out the window by the next game, but it’s something to keep an eye on moving forward.
Bulls Summer League Notebook: Dalen Terry's struggles
Dalen Terry might have more eyes on him than any other player on the Bulls Summer League roster, and unfortunately for the youngster, he didn’t quite live up to those expectations in his first performance.
Prior to the game, Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT spoke about Terry and how Chicago hopes he can develop his game away from the ball so he can play alongside Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan effectively.
Well, Terry shot just 1-for-4 from behind the three-point line, contributing to a 4-for-14 line overall.
He had six boards, three assists, and two steals, which was solid, but Chicagoans would have loved to see the second-year forward put in a shift on the offensive end, too.
But with all the talent he has, expect a bounce-back game for Terry in the next one.
