Chicago Bulls: 5 positives from first half of 2017-18 season

4. Denzel Valentine playing better in Year 2

Another player that deserves a little love is Denzel Valentine. When the Bulls selected Valentine with the No. 14 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the consensus was they were getting a player who could do a bit of everything.

Unfortunately, thanks to multiple ankle injuries, Valentine’s rookie campaign didn’t go according to plan. In 57 appearances, he averaged 5.1 points 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 35.4 percent shooting and 35.1 percent from beyond the arc. Additionally, playing behind the likes of Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade, Valentine’s role mostly consisted of being a spot-up shooter.

In Year 2, however, Valentine is starting to take his game to the next level and his numbers (9.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per outing) are up across the board. On top of that, Valentine is shooting 42.2 percent from the field overall and 40.2 percent from 3-point range, which explains why he has earned a spot in the starting lineup.

Furthermore, Valentine has already recorded 21 double-digit outings. To put that into perspective, he had only eight such games last season. While he doesn’t possess the kind of game-changing speed needed to break down defenders, Valentine has shown he can produce when given consistent minutes — a win-win for both sides.