The Chicago Bulls kicked off 2019 NBA Summer League play with a matchup on Friday, July 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers. And behind a strong performance from a few starters, the Bulls grabbed a 96-76 win to move to 1-0 at the start of the preseason tournament. Following the team’s day off on Saturday, first-round pick Coby White and his teammates got back to work on Sunday.
While the Bulls coaching staff opted to spread out playing time quite a bit in the opener, giving double-digit minutes to nine players, it’ll be interesting to monitor how the workload for starters looks moving forward. With that said, we’re going to take a look at the summer league roster and schedule for the Bulls, as they attempt to keep their foot on the gas moving forward.
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Chicago Bulls Summer League Roster & Starting Lineup
*Notates expected starter.
- *Coby White (No. 0), guard
- Marques Townes (No. 2), guard
- *Shaquille Harrison (No. 3), guard
- Justin Simon (No. 5), guard
- Jonathan Holmes (No. 7), forward
- Mychal Mulder (No. 11), guard
- *Daniel Gafford (No. 12), forward
- Perrion Callandret (No. 14), guard
- *Chandler Hutchinson (No. 15), forward
- *Adam Mokoka (No. 20), guard
- Walt Lemon Jr. (No. 25), guard
- Obi Enechionyia (No. 28), forward
- Tyler Hall (No. 30), guard
- Rodney Purvis (No. 44), guard
All roster information is courtesy of NBA.com. The players noted above received the starting nod to begin summer league, many coaches will opt to switch their lineup around in order to get a look at more of the roster.
While White, who the Bulls selected with the No. 7 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is the headliner, another rookie in Daniel Gafford impressed as well during the opener. The duo is among the top names to watch throughout the remainder of summer league play.
Bulls Summer League: Coby White & Daniel Gafford Headliners
GettyChicago Bulls guard Coby White
White’s debut with the Bulls in Las Vegas went well in some areas, but not so great in others. While he finished the game with 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals on 6-18 shooting, he struggled from beyond the arc. The former North Carolina Tar Heels guard missed all seven of his 3-point attempts.
Although it was disappointing to see White’s shot not falling, he did knock down 35.3 percent from outside during his lone collegiate season over 35 games. It appears more likely than not that the 19-year-old simply had an off night shooting from distance.
Gafford, who played his college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks, looked good in his summer league debut with Chicago. The 6-foot-11 forward poured in 21 points while knocking down 9-10 from the floor, and added 10 rebounds, four blocks, one assist and one steal in 29 minutes. He was the game’s leading scorer during the Bulls’ victory over the Lakers.
While the 20-year-old will be a name to watch throughout the tournament, his stats shouldn’t be overly surprising. Gafford played two seasons with Arkansas, and during 2018-19 averaged 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over 28.7 minutes per game. He also shot 66.0 percent from the field.
Chicago Bulls Summer League Schedule
*Schedule information comes courtesy of NBA.com.
- Friday, July 5: vs. Los Angeles Lakers at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Sunday, July 7: vs. Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Monday, July 8: vs. New Orleans Pelicans at 9:30 p.m. ET
- Wednesday, July 10: vs. Charlotte Hornets at 5:00 p.m. ET
Following the opening round of summer league action, teams will then continue playing in a single-elimination tournament. This begins on Friday, July 12, with games held each day until the championship on Monday, July 15.
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