Chicago Bulls: Is David Nwaba new foundation for Bench Mob?

Is reserve guard David Nwaba ready to take a step toward becoming a more consistent contributor for the Chicago Bulls?

Generally, nothing about a season like the one the Chicago Bulls just endured feels like that much of a positive development. Well…nothing except that fact that they’ll have a top-10 pick in the draft. That’s one of the few silver linings.

But if you really want to dig into some potential positives about the 2017 Chicago Bulls, it’s the emergence of some of their young talent and the discovery of players that could provide some future value when this team is good.

Of course, Kris Dunn, Lauri Markkanen and Zach LaVine fit that bill as the Bulls’ explosive young core. But, perhaps just as importantly, the Chicago Bulls may have made an intriguing find in guard David Nwaba.

Claimed off waivers by the Bulls in July 2017, Nwaba made an instant impact in Chicago thanks to his defensive ability and hustle. And in addition to his strong play off the bench, he also filled in capably for 21 games as a starter.

All told, Nwaba averaged 7.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game in 2017. On top of that, he raised his 3-point percentage from 20% his rookie season to 34.6% last year.

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Throwing 0.8 steals and 0.4 blocks per contest, and Nwaba could fit a lot of work into those 23.5 minutes each game. And though he doesn’t have a fully developed offensive game, he knows how to move without the ball and play aggressively at the rim. And for a young player, that’s not a bad place to start.

Though we don’t want to get carried away about Nwaba just yet, you have to be somewhat intrigued by what he can do as a role player. His athleticism and energy off the bench are reminiscent of what the Bulls got from Ronnie Brewer in the 2010-12 seasons. In fact, if you compare the numbers, Nwaba was generally better across the board, especially on offense.

Having Nwaba and Bobby Portis as the first two players off the bench could make for a solid Bench Mob-like unit. One less thing to worry about when it’s time to start contending, right?

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We’ll have to see if Nwaba can duplicate this type of performance in a consistent bench role. To be sure, his couple of starts and the general badness of the Chicago Bulls may have inflated his numbers a bit.

But the athletic ability and hustle are there without a doubt. And if Nwaba keeps this style, he’s going to make impactful players for the Bulls no matter how long he plays each game or what unit he’s on.

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