Chicago Bulls: Why re-signing Daniel Theis must be an offseason priority

Why the Chicago Bulls must re-sign Daniel Theis: He’s an underrated athlete

Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz is primarily known for two things, blocking shots and dunking on helpless defenders. This reputation is born out of the fact that not only is he a seven-footer, but he is also blessed with great leaping ability and excellent timing. Needless to say, when he sees an undersized 6’8″ center under the rim, he will not hesitate to throw down a highlight-worthy dunk over the top of him. Unless that center’s name is Daniel Theis.

Not long after being acquiring Theis, the Bulls found themselves in a road game against the Jazz in Salt Lake City. Daniel Theis got caught on the weak side and Mike Conley wisely dumped the ball down to Rudy Gobert for what everyone assumed would be an easy two points. Theis had other plans. He rotated to the paint and met Gobert at the apex of his jump for an above-the-rim blocked shot. Theis may be undersized but part of the reason he’s effective is his deceptive athleticism and superior timing. In this particular play, Rudy Gobert learned the hard way.

This upcoming off-season, the Chicago Bulls have some very important decisions to make. With the grumblings about the play-in tournament growing louder by the day, it seems increasingly unlikely that the NBA reinstates the format for next season. That means that making the playoffs will require teams to have one of the best eight regular-season records in the conference. Based on the talent on their roster, the Bulls are capable of doing just that. The question is, who’s going to get all the loose balls and make the important hustle plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet? The answer should be Daniel Theis.