EKG Report: July 11, 2017
Drew: Hello folks, welcome to another edition of the EKG report. I hope you are watching every single team in Summer League, except for the Bulls. This week, Michael Whitlow from Pippen Ain’t Easy is joining us. We are going to be talking about the Bulls first two Summer League games, how bad Cameron Payne is, and how sad Fred Hoiberg looked on T.V.
Well, since you are our guest Michael, I will ask you the first question. Hunter, feel free to jump in and answer as well.
Are there any positives that you have taken away from these first two Summer League games? Is there anyone in particular that has impressed you on the Bulls’ roster?
Michael: Thanks for having me join the gang here, guys. I really appreciate it. As for the 0–2 start for the SummerBulls, I haven’t seen too much that’s been impressive in the early going, which really isn’t that surprising. Lauri Markkanen looked solid in the first game against Dallas, but he and Denzel Valentine laid a house of bricks against Atlanta on Monday.
I personally like some of the names on this roster, like Amida Brimah and Chris Walker … guys who are projects, but have some potential. But so far? The Bulls have been one of the least impressive teams in Vegas, which should be a common trend next season.
Hunter: You hit the nail on the head, Mike. The first two games have been depressing with a capital D. Obviously, we need to be dialing down our analysis since Summer League is just Summer League, but I can’t help but feel a sense of dread about the 82 games that lie ahead for us next year.
We learned today that Kris Dunn won’t be playing another minute this Summer League, which isn’t a great sign for our #PointGuardOfTheFutureOfTheWeek. Cameron Payne, his rival for the starting job (apparently), had an alright game against the Mavericks, but he hasn’t exactly blown us away since he arrived from Oklahoma City. Drew, who would you give the starting job to? Dunn or Payne?
Drew: I don’t want to live in a world where Cameron Payne is the starting point guard of my favorite team. However, that very well could be the reality. Payne doesn’t look like he will be a competent player anytime soon. He looks completely lost, can’t shoot and is a liability on the defensive end. His basketball IQ is not high, and he makes my head hurt whenever I watch him play. Granted, it is Summer League, but nothing we have seen from him suggests otherwise.
If I had my choice, if I was Fred Hoiberg, living up in a big ole house in Hinsdale, I would choose Kris Dunn. I love his tenacity and how he has a little fight in him. He is one of the best defensive point guards in the league, and I have a feeling we will see why he was one of the most highly touted defensive prospects in his draft class. I would choose Dunn, but I have a feeling that Payne will get the nod.
Let’s talk about the rook for a second. It has looked like the Bulls haven’t really tried to utilize Markkanen’s skill set in two Summer League games. How should the Bulls use him this season? What has impressed you so far?
Mike: From what I’ve been able to see so far, Markkanen has done a good job in the lane, cleaning up missed shots, providing an inside presence to a degree. But, even Lonzo Ball thought Markkanen couldn’t shoot on Monday. 1-of-13 shooting in 31 minutes? That’s a line the 2016–17 Chicago Bulls roster would be proud of (if they were all 3-pointers of course).
When I watched Markkanen at Arizona, he excelled in the pick-and-pop game and doing something Nikola Mirotic tries to do on occasion: exposing mismatches in the post. It’s hard to put a lot of stock into summer games, but any time someone shoots 1-of-13 (and his teammate shoots 1-of-12), it’s concerning.
Hunter: I won’t rest until even the “shooters” on the Bulls can’t shoot. The point guard position isn’t enough.
Markkanen has looked rough so far, but you’re right. There’s still a way for him to find some upside this year. The only problem is, Nikola Mirotic will almost certainly be back next year unless some crazy team comes out of nowhere with a big offer sheet. He’ll take up a lot of power forward minutes, and Bobby Portis will also command time as he comes into his third year.
It’s hard to see where Markkanen makes his mark(k) if not as just a poor man’s Mirotic. Hopefully the shot starts falling, and the Bulls can string some ground-pound big men defenders out to the arc and attack that way, but past that? I’m not sure how Lauri helps.
If only there was a second-rounder with awesome defensive potential that the Bulls could trot out to add some versatility to their lineups. What’s that? They drafted one then sold him to the Warriors for $3.5 million? Yeah, that sounds right. Drew, let’s talk about something else before my sciatica starts acting up.
Drew: You don’t have to tell me twice. Let’s talk some Mirotic. So, Gar was quoted today saying that the hope was to bring Nikola Mirotic back. He also said that they are not very close on a deal. I’ve also noticed that Niko now lives at the Advocate Center (#MiroticWay).
I have some property on Mirotic Island, but with the addition of Markkanen, I am thinking about looking into summer homes in Finland. Has the market for Niko completely dried up? When is a deal going to get done? Are you both on Mirotic Island with me?
Mike: Mirotic is such a conundrum for me. I think he can be a valuable player, but just not in Chicago.
He’s what the league is evolving to at the four, but for every game when Mirotic sinks five to six triples, you see too many games where he’s overpump-faking (we’re making that a word just for now) and shooting from Stephen Curry range when he doesn’t need to. He appears to be in his own head more often than not.
The Bulls are crowded at power forward, which is why I didn’t understand the Markkanen pick at all. I like Lauri the player, but just not in Chicago if the plan is to bring Mirotic back on a deal worth $15 million annually or so. There’s only so many minutes to go around.
Hunter: I’ll buy a timeshare on Mirotic island for the month of March, but I’m selling anything else. I don’t want to completely give up on the guy, and I don’t think it’s crazy that he could be a solid scoring big off the bench, but my current thinking is if he’s a starter on your team, then your team probably isn’t going to get very far.
Drew, you mentioned that the Bulls don’t seem to be close to a deal, and that shocked me when I first heard it. There’s surely plenty going on around the league I don’t know about, but I’m having trouble coming up with teams that would throw Niko a big offer at this point. Brooklyn is out of cap space, Philly would be much more interested in a guy like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Phoenix isn’t a good fit. Who else has space and would be interested? Maybe Atlanta?
I feel like what will end up happening is the negotiations will continue to linger throughout the summer, and then either one of two things happens: Mirotic signs a multiyear deal for $10–15 million a year, or he takes the qualifying offer and tries his luck again in 2018. I don’t see him suiting up for another team next year at this point, but I could definitely be wrong.
That should do it for the EKG Report for this week. Big shoutout to Michael Whitlow for joining us and of course to the entire Pippen Ain’t Easy crew. You should read every story they write, and you should be happy to do it. We’ll continue to cover the Summer Bulls this week, and then we’ll be launching into some fun offseason #content, so stay tuned for that.
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