Da Windy City
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Chicago Bulls make smart move by cutting Antonio Blakeney

By Austin Carroll

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 18: Antonio Blakeney #9 of the Chicago Bulls looks on against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on October 18, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 18: Antonio Blakeney #9 of the Chicago Bulls looks on against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on October 18, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Despite thriving in the G League, Antonio Blakeney hasn’t been able to reach his full potential in the NBA. The Chicago Bulls were wise to cut the young guard.

Back in 2018, Antonio Blakeney showcased a wealth of potential as he took the G League by storm. Playing for the Windy City Bulls, Blakeney would go on to average 32.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game en route to winning the G League Rookie of the Year Award.

Blakeney was rewarded for his services by receiving an upgrade from a two-way contract into a two-year minimum deal with guaranteed money. All signs pointed toward the beginning of a healthy relationship with the Chicago Bulls organization.

That was until Saturday morning, when Shams Charania of the Athletic broke news the Bulls would be releasing the once promising comeback story.

For anyone who has been following Chicago’s eventful summer, this news shouldn’t come as a total shock. After a busy draft and free agency period, the Bulls held 16 players on their roster. NBA rules dictate that a team may only enter the season with 15 players on the roster, so someone had to be cut.

Considering the Bulls had eight guards on the roster (nine if you count Adam Mokoka on his two-way contract), it made the most sense to clear this logjam sooner rather than later. Blakeney’s ball-hog tendencies made him the most obvious candidate for the chopping block. Here’s an updated look at what you can expect from the Chicago’s lineup next season:

  • Guards: Zach LaVine, Tomas Satoransky, Coby White, Kris Dunn, Denzel Valentine, Ryan Arcidiacono, Shaq Harrison, Adam Mokoka (two-way)
  • Forwards: Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter, Thaddeus Young, Chandler Hutchison
  • Bigs: Wendell Carter Jr., Luke Kornet, Daniel Gafford, Cris Felicio

Last season, Blakeney received 13.5 passes on average but only dished out 7.6 of his own per game. Even worse, he jacked up 6.9 shot attempts per game, meaning he was just about as likely to shoot the ball as he was to pass it at any given moment. The only player in the entire league that played as many minutes and passed as little as Blakeney was fellow Chicago Bulls teammate Brandon Sampson, who was a temporary filler (only playing 14 games) from the G League to account for injuries.

And that would be a little more acceptable, if he was actually good at scoring the ball. Antonio’s 48.7 true shooting percentage was abysmal, tied with Josh Jackson for the seventh-worst in the entire NBA. If that looks bad, Blakeney’s defense was even worse. The Bulls had a net negative Plus/Minus of -8.5 points whenever he was on the court instead of sitting on the bench.

Next. Bulls top free agent targets. dark

This may end up looking like one of those rare cases of addition by subtraction. You can add this to the series of great moves made by GarPax this summer as they continually try to win our trust back (before inevitably messing it all up again). With another negative presence removed from the locker room, perhaps the Chicago Bulls’ pursuit of a playoff appearance this season isn’t that far removed from reality.

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