4 takeaways from Bulls’ showing at NBA Summer League

The Chicago Bulls wrapped their NBA Summer League schedule with Saturday night’s 107-81 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, who played without draft picks Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.

Matas Buzelis did play, returning to the starting lineup after a one-game experiment bringing him off the bench. He finished with 10 points for the Bulls, who finished 2-3.

Here are four takeaways from the Bulls’ experience in Las Vegas:

Buzelis plays with an edge

Summer league play can be ragged and is more about process than results. Numbers matter less than nuance.

So while Buzelis certainly needs to improve on his 33.7 percent shooting, including 21.4 percent from 3-point range, the first-round pick drew widespread raves for his competitive edge and not-afraid-of-the-moment play.

He threw down monster dunks, some in traffic, including two on Saturday. He stared down opponents. He talked trash. He sought out contact, getting to the line 27 times. He also played all five games, a rarity for a first-round pick these days.

And while he obviously needs to build strength and fill out his frame to more properly play through contact, the fact he didn’t back down from much of anything throughout summer league spoke volumes.

Defensively, Buzelis showed strong instincts with shotblocking and a willingness to switch onto smaller players on the perimeter. He has said becoming a two-way force at the next level is his goal. He blocked 10 shots in summer league.

“When I’m on the court, I want to kill you,” Buzelis said on a recent appearance on the Bulls Talk Podcast.

It showed.

Julian Phillips can complement

That’s a compliment, not a criticism.

In his first action since a foot sprain cut short his rookie season, the second-year forward continued to display subtle play and a nose for the ball that will help make his case for rotational minutes.

Phillips, who sat out Saturday, isn’t a lead player yet and may never be. But between his cutting ability, his habit of generating extra possessions with offensive rebounds and his defensive versatility, Phillips continued to show a strong awareness of positively impacting the game.

He still dribbles into tough spots too often. But his 3-point shot not only looked improved but was delivered appropriately more often than not; Phillips took the right shots.

Phillips averaged 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.25 steals while shooting 36.8 percent from 3-point range.

Coaching chops

Billy Donovan III displayed strong self-awareness and direct messaging in his head coaching debut for the Bulls. With his father, Billy, looking on, Donovan III, who will coach the Windy City Bulls in the G League this season, continued to carve out his own coaching path.

“He’s high energy, pushes us of course,” Buzelis said. “But I think the main thing is he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He’s just a real person. He tells you what you’re doing wrong. It doesn’t matter who you are.”

Donovan III even took a page out of his father’s playbook against the Lakers, burning a timeout less than a minute into the second quarter following a defensive breakdown.

Youth movement mobilizes

It seemed symbolic that Coby White, Patrick Williams, Ayo Dosunmu and Dalen Terry sat courtside for the opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. Management is building its second roster iteration, and it’s largely centered on young players.

“The way I think about it is it’s more work, more on my shoulders, being a leader for this team now, using some of my experience, but also still growing,” Williams said. “It’s all about the work. And we have a good group of guys that will do that.”

Josh Giddey, currently playing for the Australian national team in warmups for the Paris Olympics, is the centerpiece addition for this movement. Free-agent signee Jalen Smith, a stretch big man, fits in as well.

As of now, the Bulls are preparing for the returns of Lonzo Ball from injury and Zach LaVine from trade rumors. Donovan makes a habit each offseason of traveling to visit with players, and his meeting with LaVine will underscore what management said in Las Vegas.

“I think he can help this group next year. He’s been professional,” Artūras Karnišovas said. “He’s healthy.”

Indeed, LaVine is having a normal offseason following foot surgery in March. But if he’s not traded, he’ll return to a dramatically different roster headlined by the youth served in Las Vegas.