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Chicago Bulls: Grading The Offseason

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 18, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) celebrates with teammates Jimmy Butler (21) and Mike Dunleavy (34) as they enter a timeout against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter in game one of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) celebrates with teammates Jimmy Butler (21) and Mike Dunleavy (34) as they enter a timeout against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter in game one of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Chicago Bulls
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Bobby Portis (Arkansas) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number twenty-two overall pick to the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

The Draft

Under Tom Thibodeau, the Bulls were notorious for hardly finding minutes for rookies. Jimmy Butler went through it at one point, Doug McDermott experienced it last year, and now, Bobby Portis will probably go through it. Unlike the Thibs era, however, this rookie’s lack of minutes under Hoiberg may just be a product of Chicago’s loaded frontcourt.

Between Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson and promising second-year forward Nikola Mirotic, there will only be so many minutes to go around in the frontcourt next season. Portis will probably never be a superstar, so there’s not much of a rush to get this 20-year-old playing time right away.

However, Portis was a really smart pick when he fell all the way to No. 22 in the draft. He’s one of the safer and more NBA-ready selections from this year’s draft class, and his on-court intensity makes him a great personality fit. Don’t forget, this is a guy who recalls the struggles his mother endured with domestic abuse before games as motivation every time he takes the floor.

As a big who can play the 4 or the 5, Portis brings a high motor, aggression, versatility and the ability to score from the inside and outside to Chicago’s bench. In NBA Summer League, Portis showed what he’s capable of by averaging 14.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range.

He won’t play much as long as the Bulls’ frontcourt stays healthy…but that’s been a pretty big problem over the last few years. The 30-year-old Noah is always banged up, Gasol is 35 and Gibson is coming off of ankle surgery. Portis won’t blow anyone away as a rookie, but he could step up if Chicago’s poor injury luck continues and at the very least, he’ll be a nice long-term fit.

Grade: B+

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