The Chicago Bulls begin NBA Summer League action on July 10 in Las Vegas. While some teams have already started play in California and Salt Lake City, the main tournament takes place in Las Vegas.
The Summer League operates as a tournament format. Each team will play four preliminary games from July 10–17. The top four teams will advance to the playoffs, while the rest will play a consolation game. Every team is guaranteed at least five games.
The Bulls last won the Summer League tournament in 2016, but winning isn’t the primary goal. The event serves as a first look at each team’s rookies in uniform and gives young players a chance to practice in team facilities.
Even if Chicago doesn’t make the playoffs, there are still three things Bulls fans should watch for in the Summer League.
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ROOKIES: NOA ESSENGUE AND LACHLAN OLBRICH
The main draw of Summer League is watching rookies take the floor for the first time.
For Bulls fans, it will be the debut of Noa Essengue and Lachlan Olbrich in a Chicago uniform. Both players come from international backgrounds rather than college programs, making Summer League the first real opportunity for fans to see them in action.
Essengue is unlikely to have a significant role early in the regular season, so this may be the only chance to watch him log meaningful minutes early in his career. This might be the only time to watch Olbrich play for the Chicago Bulls, as he’s on a two-way contract and will spend most of his time in the G League.
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Chicago’s first game is against the Raptors and Collin Murray-Boyles on July 11. Essengue and Murray-Boyles, the two players linked to the Bulls the most during the draft process, will matchup in their first game.
MATAS BUZELIS SECOND YEAR JUMP
It’s not unusual for second-year players to appear on a Summer League roster, but it is surprising in the case of Matas Buzelis. He’s already emerging as a potential face of the franchise and represents one of the few reasons for optimism that the front office can turn the Bulls into a competitive team.
Matas Buzelis will likely appear in only one or two Summer League games, but those outings will offer a glimpse at his development midway through the offseason. The Summer League gives him the freedom to expand his game, and the Bulls have an opportunity to experiment with him in different roles and positions he might not see with the regular roster. He’ll also serve as the team’s primary scoring option for the first time in his career.
BULLS BASKETBALL
The third reason to watch the Summer League is simple: it’s Chicago Bulls basketball. This marks the first time the team has taken the court since its loss in the play-in tournament in April, and it will be the last until preseason begins in early October.
While the Summer League has more of a G League feel than a true NBA atmosphere, it offers a welcome break midway through the offseason. It’s also one of the things that sets basketball apart from other major sports leagues— fans can watch rookies in action just weeks after the draft.
It might not be the regular season, but for diehards, it’s basketball— and that’s more than enough to get excited about.
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