Chicago Bulls news: Which player steps up in Mike Dunleavy’s absence?

Mar 21, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Tony Snell (20) defended by Detroit Pistons guard

(5) during the first quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls third-year forward Tony Snell seems like the most obvious candidate to take over the starting small forward duties now that the Bulls ruled out Mike Dunleavy for the beginning of the season.

The New Mexico product showed significant improvement between his first and second year in the league. He averaged 13.6 points per game in nine games during the month of February. While he may not have as high of a ceiling offensively as Doug McDermott, his defense sets him apart.

According to NBA.com player tracking data, statistically, Snell was one of the best defenders on the Chicago Bulls last season. He held opponents to 40.8 percent from the field on attempts where he was defending the player that shot the ball, the lowest opponent field goal percentage against of any player on the Bulls last season. In addition, Snell held opponents to a field goal percentage that was 2.8 percent lower than the player’s normal shooting percentage. This statistic only trailed Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson for best differential on the team last season (Cameron Bairstow and Nazr Mohammed also had a better differential;however, the sample size wasn’t large enough to be considered significant).

Snell’s 7-feet wingspan and naturally good instincts also make him a formidable defender. Snell and Jimmy Butler starting together would create one of the most dynamic tandems of wing defenders in the NBA. Remember, twelve out of the last thirteen NBA champions have been top ten in defensive efficiency during the regular season. Defense still wins championships and that is why Snell should start over McDermott until Dunleavy returns.