The young guard has been a pleasant surprise for coach Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls.
Another Derrick Rose knee injury, another lost season for the Bulls, right?
Wrong.
Led by head coach Tom Thibodeau and all-star Joakim Noah, the Rose-less Bulls are 29-25, fourth place in the Eastern Conference, and on a five-game winning streak. Their trademark defense has remained constant (2nd overall in defense at 92.3 PPG) and they continue to defy the odds by winning without forward Luol Deng, who was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in what was essentially a salary dump.
Many wrote Chicago off earlier in the season after Rose tore his right meniscus in a game against Portland. Many believed that, without Rose or even Deng, the Bulls cannot possibly contend for a championship.
Don’t tell that to their players.
They say players take after their coaches, and Thibodeau’s “next man up” system has maximized the potential of a team that simply refuses to lay down. For a team that seems to catch the injury bug every year, Chicago’s success relies upon players stepping up and playing larger than expectations. D.J. Augustin, who was brought in after being waived by the Toronto Raptors, has played phenomenally for the Bulls this season, averaging career-highs in points (11.3 PPG) and assists (4.5 APG). Mike Dunleavy, Jr. has found his stride after initially struggling to adjust to a new system. The biggest surprise, though, has been rookie shooting guard Tony Snell, my TLM Unsung Hero of the Week.
Snell, who was drafted 20th overall by the Bulls in the 2013 NBA Draft, was thrown into the fire immediately after guard/forward Jimmy Butler was sidelined with a turf toe injury. Needed to step up and play crucial minutes, the 22-year-old rose to the challenge. While his numbers may not reflect his skill set (5.6 PPG, 38.9 FG%, 8.65 PER), he makes the plays not shown on the stat sheet. He dives for loose balls, puts the ball on the floor when needed, and doesn’t complain with teammates, coaches, or officials. In last night’s 117-89 rout of the Denver Nuggets, Snell scored a career-high 20 points in 37 minutes after Butler left the game with a rib injury. With Butler listed as day-to-day, Snell will need to remain hot when the Bulls travel to Miami and face the Heat tomorrow afternoon.
The mild-mannered Snell brings a winning attitude to Chicago. A large portion of that can probably be attributed to his time at the University of New Mexico. The Lobos are 20-5 this season and have been a staple in the NCAA tournament for the past few years. Just as the university’s expectation for success brought out the best in Snell, the young guard led the Lobos through multiple postseason runs. Through three years at UNM, Snell averaged 9.2 PPG while shooting 42.1% from the field, 38.0% from beyond the arc, and 82.1% from the free-throw line.
Known primarily as a spot-up shooter in college, Snell will need to improve his handles in order to bring his game to another level. The Bulls are 29th in the NBA in offense, largely due to the absence of a play maker who can create his own shot. Without Rose and Deng, the Bulls have used their frontcourt trio of Noah, Carlos Boozer, and Taj Gibson to dominate the paint. While this strategy has them set on the inside, the Bulls need a player to move the rock and create shots from the perimeter.
The 6’7″, 200 pound guard can potentially be a match-up nightmare if he is able to refine his offensive game. If so, he will have all the tools to be successful in the NBA. He can shoot, he can hustle, and his length allows him to get to the rim and create a ruckus on defense. With time and growth, Snell will become an important piece of the Bulls franchise as the team prepares to make another playoff push.
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