Chicago Bulls: 3 reasons why they’re competing this season
The Bulls veterans have been able to support the growth of young stars
The Bulls have found a perfect balance to their roster and it has allowed the young players to develop and learn from proven winners. Thaddeus Young has been a standout player for Chicago all season long in all aspects of the game. Most recently, the 32-year-old had 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while shooting 89 percent from the field in 20 minutes of action on Monday night.
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Young has been exactly what the Bulls wanted of him when they signed him to a three-year deal in the summer of 2019. But beyond the box score, Young has been able to impact and be a mentor to the Bulls latest first-round pick, Patrick Williams.
Young was drafted at 19 years old and is currently in his 13th season and has been around many different teams. He knows how to compete and is now in a prime position to help the new 19-year-old as he was once in his shoes.
The tandem of forwards has worked well together so far, and Williams has shown significant improvement in just 30 games which can surely be partially credited to Young.
The other veteran-young star duo that has shown extreme promise is Garrett Temple and Coby White. The Bulls signed Garrett Temple to a one-year contract this season and has proved more than his worth so far. He has also helped develop Coby White into much more of an off-ball player despite his history as a primary ball-handler.
Arguably the biggest improvement for Coby White over the past year has been his defense. Playing alongside Temple has elevated his play on both sides of the floor but mainly on defense. This will be a key moving forward as White will need to develop into a two-way star for the Bulls to reach their full potential.
With veterans on the roster helping grow younger players, this has allowed for a superstar to focus more on himself and become the Bulls go-to player.