If the NBA's summer league was simply about winning games, the Bulls were easily one of the least impressive teams in Las Vegas. However, unless it's a team that had a woeful record and is simply trying to "change the culture," as the phrase goes, summer league is about developing young players already on an NBA roster, starting to gauge how ready draft picks are to contribute as rookies and unearthing some gems that haven't been discovered yet.
On all three of those counts, the Bulls succeeded despite only winning one game at the summer league, which they concluded Sunday with a blowout loss to Central Division rival Milwaukee. Although the team was probably one of the least-talented groups in "Sin City," the Bulls still managed to land two players, swingman Jimmy Butler and power forward Malcolm Thomas, to the summer league's all-star team.
Butler, heading into his second season, was extremely impressive as a scorer, relentlessly driving his way to the basket, drawing fouls and even knocking down mid-range jumpers. Combined with his defensive acumen and vocal leadership, the Marquette product appears poised to fill the departed Ronnie Brewer's role as a backup wing player, though he'll certainly have growing pains in his first campaign seeing regular action and will likely get better with experience.
Thomas was an absolute revelation and through the Bulls' first four games -- he played fewer minutes in the team's finale -- he recorded a double-double in every outing and led the entire league in rebounding. As an active athlete, finisher around the rim, rebounder on both ends and shot-blocking presence, Thomas, who had a cup of coffee with San Antonio last season and excelled in the D-League, proved he's an NBA talent, as evidenced by the Bulls attempting to not only bring him into training camp, but sign him to a one-year deal. They will, however, face competition for his services.
Marquis Teague, the Bulls' first-round draft pick, struggled throughout the proceedings, displaying that he'll need time to adjust to the professional level. The point guard had ball-security issues, he was torched defensively in a few matchups, his outside shot was often off the mark and while his explosiveness is obvious, it's very likely that the Bulls sign another more experienced player with floor-general capabilities in free agency to provide a safety net behind veteran Kirk Hinrich to start the season, as superstar Derrick Rose will still be on the shelf.