On July 22, Rawle Alkins and the Bulls agreed on a two-way contract, according Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
The sophomore guard out of Arizona didn’t hear his name called on draft night, but this didn’t stop him from putting on a solid performance during his Summer League stint with the Raptors. The former wildcat played in six games for the Raptors, and averaged 9.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. This includes a 25-point, 11-rebound game against the Hornets.
https://youtu.be/6xNr6CbEbS4
Alkins is a 6-foot-4 guard that is known for his athleticism and intensity. He measured in with a 6-foot-9 wingspan. This gives him the ability to guard multiple positions on the wing, which is what the Bulls are lacking. Alkins is an unselfish, energetic player that has already played a season with Lauri Markkanen during his freshman year of college. Every Arizona Wildcat fan knows that Alkins possesses the ability to sky up for a posterizer.
Weaknesses for the Brooklyn native include an unproven jumpshot. Alkins shot .359 from three point range in his second season at Arizona, and hasn’t shown any ability to be a playmaker. He also has the tendency to lose the ball in traffic. In late September of 2017, Alkins suffered a foot injury that sidelined him for 12 games of the college season.
This move seems to foreshadow that John Paxson and Gar Forman have decided to move on from guard David Nwaba, who the team rescinded earlier this month. Alkins will likely attempt to fill the same role that Nwaba played for the team this past season.
Signing Alkins adds good wing depth to a Bulls team that needs to be able to guard the modern NBA small forward. Expect to see him checking in to a few games during the course of the regular season, but Alkins will likely spend a lot of time in the G-League for the Windy City Bulls. If Alkins proves to be a solid perimeter defender at the NBA level, he definetely has the potential to earn minutes in Fred Hoiberg’s rotation.
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