White still learning as summer Chicago Bulls lose to Cavs
The Chicago Bulls lost a few players between their first and second summer-league games, and it showed on the court.
Rookie point guard Coby White collected 15 points and 5 assists, but the Bulls lost to Cleveland 82-75 on Sunday in their second outing at the Las Vegas summer league.
On Saturday, the Bulls waived Shaq Harrison and Walt Lemon Jr., two players who logged significant minutes in the opening win over the Lakers. Both had contract options for next season that the Bulls chose not to exercise.
It's conceivable Harrison could join the Bulls for training camp, especially if they find a new home for Kris Dunn. Since the Bulls have a logjam at point guard already, Lemon seems a more likely candidate for a two-way contract.
Second-year forward Chandler Hutchison also sat out Sunday after starting in the opener. The Bulls' leading scorer against the Cavs was Mychal Mulder, a two-year member of the Windy City Bulls, with 18 points. Justin Simon, a rookie guard from St. John's, added 10 points.
It was a mixed bag for White on Sunday. He scored on some nice drives to the basket but also finished with 7 turnovers. In the two summer games, White has gone 0-for-11 from 3-point range. From 2-point range, he's shooting 56.5 percent.
"I could have played better," White told reporters after the game. "My energy wasn't where it was last game, but we have another game tomorrow. I'm still trying to become a better decision-maker on the court. It's all about the learning curve, just learn from everything."
Second-round pick Daniel Gafford had a big game against the Lakers but looked like he hit the summer-league rookie wall Sunday. Gafford finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds and no blocks.
The Bulls got off to a slow start, made up some ground, then fell behind by 12 points in the third quarter. The subs sparked a comeback, highlighted by Mulder's fastbreak reverse dunk, and the Bulls led midway through the fourth quarter but couldn't hang on. Point guard Naz Mitrou-Long led the Cavs with 21 points and 8 assists.
The Bulls will play again Monday against New Orleans at 8:30 p.m. Pelicans' top draft pick Zion Williamson already has been ruled out for the rest of summer league after suffering a bruised knee Friday.
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