Tonight the Chicago Bulls take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first NBA Summer League game. Both of the Bulls first-round draft picks this year are suiting up and this is a chance for coaches and fans alike to see what they can do. Wendell Carter Jr. will be a focal point in this offense being the 7th pick in the NBA draft this year and Chandler Hutchison is sure to see plenty of playing time to show his skill set as well.
Now, the Bulls do have familiar faces suiting up for their summer league team this year in Antonio Blakeney and Ryan Arcidiacono.
As many fans now Antonio Blakeney tore up the G league in the 2017-2018 season and is poised to be a mainstay on the Chicago Bulls roster this upcoming season. Below are Blakeney’s per game stats from the G league.
| Season | Tm | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | WCB | 32 | 32 | 38.3 | 11.0 | 23.8 | .462 | 2.8 | 7.9 | .354 | 8.2 | 15.8 | .516 | 7.2 | 8.4 | .862 | 0.8 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 32.0 |
| Career | 32 | 32 | 38.3 | 11.0 | 23.8 | .462 | 2.8 | 7.9 | .354 | 8.2 | 15.8 | .516 | 7.2 | 8.4 | .862 | 0.8 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 32. |
Bulls fans should expect Blakeney to be a force and expect him to score at will on the summer league roster, but there are a few low key players the Bulls brought on that should excite fans.
Donte Ingram
Local hero Donte Ingram from Loyola University is signed on with the Bulls summer league team. Donte is a four-year player coming out of Loyola and if he plays well enough he could potentially earn himself a spot on the Bulls G league team for further development. Donte has the size to post up smaller guards and he is a decent shooter. Ingram has a high basketball IQ that helps make up for his lack of athleticism. Hopefully, this hometown kid can play well and make a name for himself.
Melo Trimble
Melo Trimble played three years and Maryland and proved to be an on-court leader as a point guard. Trimbles biggest strengths while playing for Maryland was to score the ball and get his teammates involved. He is a small compact guard who isn’t afraid of going into the paint and taking contact. With the Bulls backup point guard troubles, who’s to say Trimble can’t impress the coaching staff and earn his way into a roster spot with the Bulls? This is definitely a player fans should keep their eye on.
The two players profiled above will be seeing a lot of playing time alongside the starters for the summer league team.
As it always is, the summer league will continue to be can’t miss basketball, as players try to earn roster spots and rookies try to show teams why they were drafted.
