As Noa Essengue fights through growing pains, the Chicago Bulls see a potentially ‘elite’ defender

PHILADELPHIA — Before the season started, Chicago Bulls coach Tiago Splitter needed to have a conversation with Noa Essengue.

It wasn’t their first sit-down. All summer, Essengue had needed a gentle prodding from his coach. It first came in Las Vegas, where Splitter publicly and privately chided the second-year forward for a lack of energy in summer league.

In the buildup to his first real NBA season, Essengue still hadn’t found his footing. Splitter urged him to drop the hesitance.

Stop holding back in practice. Stop playing like you’re afraid to make mistakes. Stop worrying about what will happen if you fail. Toughen up. Own your moment.

Essengue is accustomed to criticism. His rookie season was a disappointment, cut short by a shoulder injury after three minutes in two games. Most Bulls fans still are judging him by two forgettable trips to Las Vegas.

Essengue works hard to ignore the grumbling commentary that has followed him since he first arrived in Chicago. But Splitter’s words cut through those self-protective layers.

“I’m never worried about what social media says,” Essengue told the Tribune. “People can say whatever they want to say. But it’s tough when your coach says that. It puts you to look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘I can do better than this.’ Because I can.”

The change wasn’t immediate. But in the early weeks of the season, Splitter began to see a difference. Essengue quit diminishing himself during practice. He fought for blocks and dived for loose balls. He started to play his game.

Essengue isn’t sure why he was holding back. He doesn’t fully understand the version of himself that played in summer league and the preseason. He wasn’t trying to shrink from contact. He likes to be physical. He considers himself an aggressive player. He doesn’t know why that didn’t translate to his early introductions to the NBA.

All he knows is that, after that conversation, the switch flipped.

“I’m just trying to find my place,” Essengue said. “I want to be part of this rebuild. You worry about looking bad or looking good, and I was putting too much pressure on it.”

Essengue isn’t here for the glitz and glamour. Unlike rookie Caleb Wilson, he doesn’t have the green light to hoist 3-pointers. Most of his points derive from quick thinking in transition, a rip to the rim before the defense gets set or a put-back to clean up a teammate’s miss. For now, in fact, the Bulls aren’t worried about Essengue’s offense at all.

Splitter and his coaching staff believe Essengue possesses a special talent on the defensive end. That might seem surprising to say about a 6-foot-10 (6-11 if the right person is asked) teenager who still carries himself with the gangly awkwardness of a kid recovering from a growth spurt. Essengue is a bit skinny, a bit klutzy.

But he’s also crafty on the ball, surprisingly deft in his lateral movements despite the length of his frame. He can adapt to the speed of a guard and recover with his sprawling wingspan. And with time, the Bulls believe he can become an effective weapon.

“He’s one of the best sliders, if a word existed for it,” Splitter said. “He can pick up guys full court. His ability to move his feet is elite, really.

“He’s still making mistakes. He’s a 19-year-old who is learning how to play and compete at the highest level. I think he can be a tremendous player one day in this league.”

The expectations are simple for Essengue this season. If he wants to play in the NBA, he has to defend. That’s it. Luckily for Essengue, he loves to defend. Any position, any part of the court.

Splitter expects him to pick up his man full court after a made basket to slow the ballhandler and shorten the shot clock. Essengue might spend a few minutes assigned to a point guard, then shift to take on a center like Joel Embiid. Versatility is paramount.

Essengue still hasn’t established who he hopes to become in this league. He draws inspiration from “3-and-D” wings such as Jaden McDaniels, a versatile stopper for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The “3” variable in that equation might be a ways off. Essengue is averaging 4.3 points this season. He takes only four shots per game and has attempted only 15 jumpers all season, 12 from 3-point range. But for now, that limited offensive skill set is perfectly acceptable for the Bulls, who want Essengue to focus his attention and energy on his defensive assignments.

“They just let me play my game,” Essengue said. “If I make plays, if I don’t make plays, they tell me to keep going. They tell me to be way more aggressive. Sometimes they tell me I’m way too passive — but when I’m aggressive, I’m helping the team. They trust me.”

On a team full of youngsters eager to grow, Essengue perhaps stands to benefit the most from the yearslong rebuild the Bulls are facing. He was 18 when the previous front office drafted him with the No. 12 pick, a selection that earned him the “project” label before he even got settled stateside. Essengue needs years — multiple — to grow into a real role in the NBA. The baked-in patience of the current Bulls plan is a welcome source of reassurance.

This process isn’t entirely new to Essengue. He experienced a rebuild in his second year of professional ball while playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany. After his first year in the Bundesliga, Ulm tore down its roster to the bare bones.

Essengue was 16, but he didn’t mind the change. The overhauled roster worked. Ulm made it to the finals that season. And in the process, he learned to embrace the discomfort of a new start.

“It’s not always easy to lose,” Essengue said. “But I don’t let myself worry about that because I know we’re going to play for something big in a few years. We’re doing the right thing.”

Last Wednesday, Essengue simply couldn’t stay on his feet. The New York Knicks seemed collectively equipped to throw him off his rhythm.

Karl-Anthony Towns drew the first whistle barely 90 seconds after Essengue entered the game, shouldering off the youngster on a rebound. Seconds later, Essengue fouled again while attempting to switch onto Jalen Brunson. On the next trip down the court, Essengue fouled Towns again. Three fouls in 41 seconds.

Splitter beseeched Essengue to keep the balls of his feet glued to the hardwood, to stop overextending to swipe at the ball. His words didn’t help. He pulled Essengue out of the game, limiting him to barely 10 minutes the rest of the way. It was another growing pain.

“I know I’m a physical defender, so I just need to learn,” Essengue said. “That’s going to come with time. I need to learn who I’m playing against, who’s the ref, things like that so I know how much I can do.”

Learning is a two-step process. Last season Essengue studied from the sidelines. He watched film, helped former coach Billy Donovan construct scouting reports. But watching goes only so far.

Essengue is ready to embrace the part of his career where he learns by failing, by getting beat, by losing. He isn’t too worried about the growing pains. He’s going to get bigger. He’s going to get faster. And he’s going to learn from his mistakes.

“The only way to learn is to keep playing,” he said.