Chicago Bulls: 3 players who must impress to stay on roster next season

Chicago Bulls goals for Adam Mokoka

Adam Mokoka became a professional basketball player at the age of 17, playing in France’s top-flight Pro-A league. After two seasons of impressing scouts internationally, he declared for the NBA draft; unfortunately, he was not selected.

The Chicago Bulls changed his fortunes when they signed him to a two-way contract in the summer of 2019. Unfortunately, the 6’4″ shooting guard has spent the majority of his time playing for the Windy City Bulls or the Austin Spurs of the G League. So why is it that an athletically inclined, solidly built player has had trouble getting on the court in the NBA? The answer is simple; he hasn’t taken care of the basketball.

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Last season, Mokoka appeared in 14 games for the Bulls, averaged 4 minutes per contest and turned the ball over an average of 0.4 times. That’s a lot of turnovers for a guy who primarily played garbage minutes and had limited touches. If Mokoka was three inches taller, Coach Donovan could try moving him to the small forward and limiting his perimeter touches.

However, a 6’4″ guard either needs to be an exceptional defender like John Starks, a knockdown shooter like Jeff Hornacek, or an elite ball-handler like Gary Payton. Mokoka is none of those things. If he doesn’t work on handling the ball and reading the defense, Chicago will give him his walking papers.

Professional sports is a business in which the majority of participants cannot afford to operate based on emotions. The number of players playing overseas or on 10-day contracts who have staying power if given the right chance is immeasurable. The guys who do manage to stay in the league are the ones who figure out an identity and embrace their roles. Troy Brown, Devon Dotson and Adam Mokoka must figure it out soon. If not, their days in the Windy City are numbered.