The Chicago Bulls are going big with their 2023 rookie class. The Bulls traded into the draft to pick Julian Phillips, a small forward from Tennessee. They signed a power forward after the draft who had a lot of success at the college level.
The Chicago Bulls signed Adama Sanogo
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bulls signed Adama Sanogo to a two-way contract with the Bulls.
Undrafted UConn center Adama Sanogo has agreed on a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 23, 2023
Sanogo played on the UConn team that won this year’s national championship. I was at the national championship game in Houston, and the six-foot-nine, 245-pound Sanogo stood out on the court. He dominated the small lineup of the San Diego State Aztecs. Sanogo scored 17 points and dominated the boards with ten rebounds.
Sanogo’s defense made it hard for the Aztecs to go inside, and they wanted to after starting the night cold from the arc. Coupled with the Aztecs’ poor outside shooting, UConn manhandled them in a 76-59 victory. Sanogo was named the Final Four MVP for his performance.
Adama Sanogo could be a UDFA steal
The signing could be a potential gem for the Bulls. CBS Sports named Sanogo as a draft night snub. Sports Illustrated thinks Sanogo is an underrated player in the 2023 class, per his draft profile:
“One of the most underrated players in this class, the UConn center out of Mali is coming off of a fantastic junior season. Sanogo is still pretty young relative to his experience at the college level. He was a massive stock riser on the way to the Huskies’ championship run, proving he’s an efficient scorer.
Sanogo has incredible touch and is one of the best in this class around the rim. More of a traditional big, although undersized, he can also step out and shoot from beyond the arc. It was on limited volume last season, but between the 36.5% clip from deep and promising free throw shooting, it’s fair to be optimistic about his 3-point shot translating at the NBA level.
With that in mind, he’s best at using his strength in back to the basket scenarios, and is great at establishing position leveraging his lower body. Although he would have fit better in the league a decade ago, he could still make a significant impact in the right role in the modern NBA. After emerging as a primary contributor this season, Sanogo led the Huskies in both scoring and rebounding. He was a major cog in UConn’s offense, especially in year three. He has a strong frame at 245 pounds yet has a feathery soft touch inside of the paint.”
As Jim Weber points out, some of the best players in college weren’t drafted this year. The NBA isn’t favoring big men. Whether this is short-sighted remains to be seen. Three of the last four NBA Finals winners have featured elite big men in Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic. Antetokounmpo and Jokic won Finals MVP.
"No Country For College Big Men"
Because of the way the NBA has changed, 3 of the best players in college basketball went unpicked in the 2023 NBA Draft. 😢
– Adama Sanogo (UConn): 2023 F4 MOP
– Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky): 2022 NPOY
– Drew Timme (Gonzaga): 1st Team All-American pic.twitter.com/ZCIA3iaf6L— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) June 23, 2023
The Chicago Bulls need interior defense
That’s not to say Sanogo, Oscar Tshiebwe, or Drew Timme will be the next Giannis. However, Jokic rolled over opponents in the playoffs because their competition didn’t have big men that could consistently defend him. Nikola Vucevic won’t be that center for the Bulls.
I think the Bulls are smart in finding big men in this year’s class who could eventually defend Giannis. It’s a smart move to get these big rookies on the cheap, then find sure shooters in free agency.
Here are highlights of Adama Sanogo at UConn courtesy of MattyDubs:
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