Younger and more athletic? Nwaba fits the bill for Bulls
Bulls general manager Gar Forman spoke a couple years ago about the need for the Bulls to get "younger and more athletic."
It took a while, but it appears they've finally made some traction in those categories with the addition of 6-4 guard David Nwaba. He was an important part of Thursday's victory over Atlanta, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
"We were struggling to score and he got us 5 quick points just getting the ball off the glass and going coast to coast," coach Fred Hoiberg said Friday. "David is one of the guys that can get downhill on this team. He can make plays. He's an underrated passer, very physical defender. He gave us a lot."
Nwaba, 24, is enjoying a rapid rise from relative unknown to NBA regular. He was not drafted after completing his college career at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, went to a D-League tryout and landed a spot on the Los Angeles D-Fenders. By the end of the season, he earned a call-up to the Lakers and played in 20 games. The Bulls claimed him off waivers this summer.
Saturday's game against Oklahoma City will be another chance to see if Nwaba's athleticism can help the Bulls be competitive.
"He's shooting the ball with confidence in practice," Hoiberg said. "It was good to see him hit that 3 in the right corner, Denzel (Valentine) made a great pass to him. Overall, Lauri (Markkanen) made the big one at the end but you could argue David was the player of the game."
Lowdown on Lauri:
The practice altercation that sidelined both Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis forced the Bulls to play rookie Lauri Markkanen right away. And he's responded well, averaging 15.8 points and 10 rebounds.
Markkanen is the first rookie to start his NBA career by hitting 12 total 3-pointers in his first four games, going 12-for-30 from long range. Bulls vice president John Paxson talked Friday about Markkanen's fast start.
"I guess the thing I'm most impressed with is the poise he has played with for a young player," Paxson said. "Given the minutes he has been given and the matchups he's had, he has played with unusual poise for a young player.
"Physically, he's not strong enough right now. You see that sometimes when he gets in traffic rebounding. But he's a 20-year-old young man. Those things will happen over time. That's on us, our training staff. It's not going to happen overnight."
Options for all:
The Bulls picked up the 2018-19 contract options on all five of their eligible players. The list includes second-year players Kris Dunn and Denzel Valentine, third-year guard Jerian Grant, and a couple of surprises - Bobby Portis and Cameron Payne.
Portis is serving an eight-game suspension for punching teammate Nikola Mirotic in practice. Payne is recovering from foot surgery. He's had persistent foot problems the past two years and hasn't played very well when he has been on the court.
At the same time, all the salaries are reasonable. The Bulls want to be able to package young players in a trade if the opportunity arrives. Payne is set to make $3.3 million in 2018-19, while Portis is at $2.5 million. Salaries for first-round draft picks are determined by the NBA's rookie wage scale. Second-round picks like Paul Zipser are not subject to the wage scale.
Bull horns:
Robin Lopez attempted 10 shots in the first quarter of Thursday's victory. Always known as a defensive-minded player, he was asked after the game if he'd ever taken that many shots before, even in high school. "No, I had (twin brother) Brook on my team," he said. "I wasn't taking close to 10 shots with Brook on my team." … Both Kris Dunn (dislocated left index finger) and Paul Zipser (right knee contusion) are questionable to play Saturday against the Thunder. Coach Fred Hoiberg said Zipser planned to take it easy and rest the knee on Friday.