With all eyes set on rookies Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain, another Chicago Bulls rookie might not draw as much attention. Noa Essengue needed as many reps and minutes as he could get in Summer League, which is why Monday night's matchup was so brutal.
The No. 12 pick didn't return with the starters for the second half of the Bulls' loss to the Utah Jazz. He's coming off a shoulder injury, but his benching wasn't due to health or precautions.
Instead, coach Tiago Splitter sent him a blunt message after going through the motions in the first half. According to Bulls insider K.C. Johnson, the first-year head coach had higher expectations for Essengue:
“Noa Essengue said Tiago Splitter told him that he didn’t start second half because Splitter wanted more energy from him offensively and defensively and more leadership," Johnson shared on X. “Splitter said he ‘wanted more’ from Essengue and also wanted an extra ball handler in lineup.”
Noa Essengue has plenty of catching up to do
The French forward finished the game with just 18 minutes of playing time, logging six points, five boards, two assists, two steals, and two blocks on 1-for-4 from the floor and 2-for-3 from the free-throw line.
Essengue fared much better in his Summer League debut. He scored 10 points with five rebounds, one assist, two steals, and four blocks on five shots and 29 minutes. Now, this definitely isn't a good omen for his second year.
He's a product of the previous regime, so it's not like anyone in the building has any previous allegiances to him. And after missing most of his rookie season and already being deemed an extremely raw prospect, he may not be a big part of the team's plans going forward.
Perhaps Coach Splitter is just laying the blueprint and letting everyone know there will be no favorites and that they have to earn their minutes. Maybe this is just some good-old tough love, and he did this because he believes in Essengue and knows he can do better. But maybe he just doesn't want to play him.
Being in your team's doghouse midway through your rookie deal is brutal, much more as a lottery pick. The Bulls have a frontcourt logjam, and touches will be in high demand as it is, so not being able to stay on the floor in the Summer League is a huge red flag.
It's still too early to tell how any of this will go, but Splitter is setting a clear precedent. And as much as the fans should love every second of that, it looks like Essengue has plenty of catching up to do.
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