Bulls drop to 1-1 after Summer League loss to Grizzlies
Bulls drop to 1-1 after Summer League loss to Grizzlies originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
Julian Phillips made his NBA Summer League debut Saturday night as the Chicago Bulls dropped to 1-1 with an 87-80 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in Las Vegas.
It's overreacting to put too much stock into July action.
The games can be ragged. The pace can be chaotic. Statistics don't necessarily translate to regular-season success or failure.
Still, general manager Marc Eversley made clear what he's looking for during an in-game interview with NBA-TV in the Bulls' Friday opener.
"The way we’re constructed and built . . . around Zach [LaVine], [Nikola Vucevic] and DeMar [DeRozan], we really want players to come in and complement those guys," Eversley said. "Whether you’re talking about a Dalen Terry or a Justin Lewis, who is going to be a two-way [contract player], you’re really looking for those guys to grow and develop, kind of find their niche on how they can help us.’’
Unfortunately for the Bulls through two games, speed bumps, not success, have prevailed.
Lewis, who overcame an August 2022 ACL tear that cost him last season, left the game in the first half with a left ankle injury. Terry struggled mightily with his shot for the second straight game. And Phillips, who sat out Thursday's opener because he had yet to sign his contract, looked overanxious in a mistake-filled debut.
Terry shot 5-for-21 and is now 9-for-35 through two games for 25.7 percent. And while shooting isn't the be-all, end-all for Terry, who played well defensively for the second straight game, that low of a percentage won't cut it.
The second-year guard did drop his turnovers from three to zero but also played more off the ball than he did on Friday night.
As for Phillips, he said following a practice this week in Chicago at the Advocate Center that his goals were to make an impact defensively and knock down open shots with consistency.
Phillips only took two shots in his 24 minutes, missing badly on a wild drive and then sinking a long jumper at a critical time that initially counted as a 3-pointer before video review overturned it.
Phillips did grab four rebounds. But between his four fouls and three turnovers and some rocky defense that featured him getting backcut on one possession, he played like a second-round pick who has a lot to learn. Which he is.
“Obviously, guys are bigger, faster and stronger," Phillips said this week. "It’s a different game from college, so just getting a feel of it throughout the week and being able to progress."
The next opportunity is Tuesday night when the Bulls face the Sacramento Kings.
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