This could turn out to be a big year for a Chicago Bulls player heading into his second NBA season. No, not Ayo Dosunmu, the homegrown guard who has already been identified as one of the keys to a potential extended playoff run.
Instead, it is big man Marko Simonovic, who was drafted in 2020 but is entering only his his second season because he stayed overseas for a year before signing with the Bulls in August 2021.
Last season, he appeared in nine games, averaging 3.9 minutes, and spent part of the season with the G League’s Windy City Bulls. This summer, Simonovic bulked up before heading back overseas to take part in the FIBA World Cup 2023 Qualifiers with his native Montenegro. And his playing a big role there could pay off for the Bulls this season.
Valuable Experience
Simonovic and Montenegro suffered a 90-73 loss August 27 to Lithuania, the Group K leaders, after trailing by just three points at halftime (39-36). The loss dropped Montenegro to a 5-3 record as they prepare for EuroBasket 2022.
The Bulls youngster remained optimistic about his team’s outlook despite the blown lead and loss to close out the qualifying round.
“I think we played really well in the first half, just like we planned before the game,” Simonovic said, per BasketNews’ Edvinas Jablonskis, “but in the second half, we didn’t play so good. … We need to respond and play the way we did in the first half. We will watch the video, and we’ll do better, for sure. With EuroBasket coming, we want to play better.”
Y mas tarde, Lituania 🇱🇹 venció sin problemas a Montenegro 🇲🇪 90-73. Sabonis clave, jugando y haciendo jugar.
🇱🇹 Sabonis 15 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST.
🇱🇹 Valanciunas 12 PTS, 14 REB.
🇱🇹 Grigonis 16 PTS.
🇲🇪 Perry 21 PTS (4/7 3PT), 4 AST.
🇲🇪 Simonovic 13 PTS, 5 REB, 3 STL.
Simonovic noted that Lithuania’s toughness and physicality could be difficult to handle, with Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings (who earned Player of the Game) and Jonas Valanciaunas of the Memphis Grizzlies on the roster.
“We just need to play well,” said Simonovic. “Every team is experienced. Even if some of the teams don’t have one or two players, it doesn’t mean they will start to play badly. We need to prepare for the games in the best way possible and focus on every match. It doesn’t matter which team we play, and we’ll need to focus so we could be what we want to be on the court.”
There might not be a better training and proving ground for the 6-foot-11, 216-pound center who has struggled when he’s seen action at the NBA level.
Simonovic finished the loss with 13 points, five rebounds, three steals and one assist.
Marko Simonovic’s Resume
Simonovic also spent plenty of time with Bulls starting center Nikola Vučević this summer. And, though the latter won’t be playing in EuroBasket, their training together can only help the young Bulls big man.
“Will that improvement be enough to crack the rotation?” asks Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune wrote in a July 20 story. “The Bulls were content to let Simonović develop in the G League as a rookie, but they need him to grow into a more reliable backup option behind … Vučević and Andre Drummond.”
Last season in the G League, he played in only five games but averaged 15.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks.
For the Bulls, he averaged 1.9 points and 1.1 boards in under 4 minutes per game. He showed improved physicality during this year’s summer league play. But he has still struggled to stretch the floor consistently. He shot 44.4% on 1.8 3-point attempts per game in the G League.
But he hit only 20% of his triples in his limited time with the Bulls. And, during his two qualifying games with Montenegro, Simonovic hit just 1-of-7 threes (14.3%).
Simonovic has to be more efficient if he is going to play significant minutes next season.
Searching for Consistency
Simonvic alternated between impressing and underwhelming to start summer league play this year. He did find his way en route to an All-Summer League Team selection. But what does this “process” mean for Simonovic?
“I know that it’s not all in one year,” Poe wrote on July 7. This is is a process and I need the time to understand everything and to learn everything. … I’m ready to work. I’ve been working every day to be better and to get some minutes in the NBA.”
And he will have to find his touch from three if he is going to provide some versatility by sliding to power forward some next season.
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Bulls Big Man Sounds Off on Team’s Performance After FIBA Loss