The Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic showed their rosters were ready for the upcoming NBA season during the 2022 Summer League in Las Vegas.
The tournament served as the first real test for the Bulls and Magic’s young players, including Bulls’ first-round draft pick Dalen Terry, second-year center Marko Simonović, and Magic’s No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero.
Terry has been the focus of the Bulls’ attention since he was drafted, but the shooting guard suffered a right hamstring injury in the second quarter of Saturday’s game after playing for only nine minutes and 49 seconds.
Terry was injured while attempting to make a cut after receiving a pass from teammate Justin Lewis outside the 3-point line. He glided across a wet patch. He landed on both hands before standing back up and calling for a sub.
However, the 20-year-old ‘s performance in the first four games showed why his team believed in him. Even though his scoring averages 11.8 points per game on 57.6 percent shooting, the Arizona-native guard operates with a defensive mindset.
In addition, he can contribute to games without scoring. Terry is capable of holding his team together. He is a strong finisher who can also get to the free-throw line.
There is still room for improvement, including a jumper with inconsistent release points from shot to shot. His vision also occasionally leads to careless errors.
Terry’s defensive vision carried over to the summer league court. He averaged 3.6 steals per game and worked well with Simonović to slide for traps and provide an off-ball defense.
Marko Simonović
Center Marko Simonović has insisted his 25-pound weight gain would help him perform better. His dependability was on display in the Bulls’ season opener against the Dallas Mavericks. The second-year big man scored 27 points and had 13 rebounds. He hit the game-winning free throw in overtime against Dallas. Simonović also finished strong, going 11-for-15 with 26 points against the 76ers.
However, he followed up with a poor performance against fellow New York Knicks second-round pick Jericho Sims. Simonović scored one point on 0-for-5 shooting while Sims dominated the Bulls’ big man.
The 22-year-old center averaged 15.6 points and 8.8 rebounds in five games, earning second-team tournament honors. Nevertheless, Simonović is still developing. He needs to be a more reliable backup option behind Nikola Vučević and Andre Drummond.
Paolo Banchero
When Paolo Banchero was selected first overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2022 NBA draft, many considered him to be on par with Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith Jr. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound forward won both of his summer league appearances. He certainly delivered in terms of stats, averaging 20.0 points. 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.
In his one year at Duke, Banchero averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 39 starts. Many, however, are still unaware that he is a capable and versatile defender.
The power forward still has a long way to go before he reaches his full potential. He must work on his perimeter shooting efficiency, keep his turnovers to a minimum, and a high level of defensive ferocity.