E’Twaun Moore: Chicago Bulls SG Has Starter Potential

E’Twaun Moore was the difference-maker in the Chicago Bulls’ 107-102 win over the Sacramento Kings.

The Chicago Bulls came into their matchup against the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 3 mired in mediocrity at 26-21. Not only had they lost consecutive games to the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz, but they had also dropped nine of their last 13 overall.

Additionally, Bulls big man Pau Gasol recently expressed his thoughts on why the team has struggled at various times during the season.

"“At the end of the day we all have to look ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves, are we doing enough?” Gasol said an interview with ESPN. “Are we doing enough to contribute? Am I worrying about the right things? Am I worrying about the collective or am I just worried about what I do on the floor or the shots that I take, how much am I scoring, how much am I playing? All those things are the wrong approach to winning, so I think if we are able and capable of changing that approach individually and collectively, I think we’ll be in a better place.”"

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Things didn’t appear to look good for Chicago with Jimmy Butler out of the lineup due to knee tendinitis. Without their All-Star guard on the floor, the Bulls would need contributions from multiple players and that is exactly what they got.

Derrick Rose — who posted his highest scoring and shooting percentage output in January with 17.6 points per contest on 47 percent shooting — scored 21 points to go along with nine assists and six rebounds. Gasol chipped in with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

While Rose and Gasol certainly did their part, the guy who had the greatest impact on this game was E’Twaun Moore. During Nikola Mirotic‘s absence (appendectomy/hematoma removal), Moore was inserted into the lineup when the Bulls began their longest road trip of the season against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Against the Kings, Moore continued to build a case for being a permanent fixture in the starting rotation.

In the first quarter, Moore scored 13 of the team’s 34 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting from the field. He would go on to score a career-high 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting, enabling the Bulls to notch a much needed 107-102 victory, their first win in Sacramento in more than four years.

On a night when several players were out of the lineup due to injuries, the Bulls needed someone to step up in a big way, and Moore delivered the goods.

"“I knew our team needed a spark,” Moore said, via ESPN. “It was so important to start the game off well and get us going in the right direction. I did that and it helped out a lot.”"

Over the past three outings, Moore had played reasonably well, averaging 8.7 points per contest. But against the Kings, he elevated his game to another level.

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Following the Bulls’ 114-93 win over the Lakers on Jan. 28, both Rose and Butler praised Moore’s insertion into the starting lineup. Furthermore, Fred Hoiberg has mentioned that that the team plays at a faster pace when Moore is on the court.

And being that Moore has exceeded expectations in his recently expanded role, Hoiberg should strongly consider making him a permanent starter going forward.