Can Denzel Valentine Become an X-Factor?
The 2019-2020 season will be Denzel Valentine’s 4th season as a member of the Bulls, and his future with the team may depend on it!
When it comes to the case of Denzel Valentine, it seems Bulls Nation is pretty much 50/50. Some will tout the 6’6″ guards shooting and playmaking capability, making him a valuable piece off the bench that the Bulls sorely missed this season. Others will tell you that Valentine is an injury-prone bust, having only played 134 out of 246 game over 3 seasons, missing all 82 games last year due to reconstructive ankle surgery.
No matter if your pro-Valentine, anti-Valentine or somewhere in between, Denzel knows that this is the most important season of his career thus far.
Photo: @clutchpoints
Denzel is confident he belongs, believing that next season will be his first fully healthy season and that he will show everyone the player that he believes he is. Valentines is a career 37.4% shooter from deep, his return should help the Bulls bolster their outside shooting, especially on the bench. His playmaking abilities will make a valuable asset, as it gives the Bulls bench unit a secondary ball handler, who is able to make every kind of pass there is and has a knack for finding big men cutting to the rim, as well as finding shooters in the corner. Given his playmaking skill, Denzel should work well with the multiple ball handler offense Jim Boylen likes to run.
Valentine, who should serve as the main back up for Zach Lavine, should, in theory, be put in a position to be the Bulls main weapon off the bench(depending on who the Bulls sign in free agency). Chandler Hutchison will no doubt be a part of the Bulls bench next season. Hutchison and Denzel on the wings should give the Bulls 2 solid backups at the shooting guard and small forward positions, that should be able to provide the Bulls enough firepower to stay in games, while the starters are taking a breather.
Photo: nba.com
Denzel also could be an intriguing piece in a small ball line up that could see Lavine and Valentine as the wings with Otto Porter Jr. at the 4 and Lauri Markkanen at the 5. Giving the Bulls a versatile line up with 4 players who can all hit from the outside. This is a contract year for Denzel, so not only will he be playing to prove that he deserves a spot on the team, but he’ll also be playing to set his value for his next contract as high as he can, typically players give it their all in this situation.
Whether he will remain in Chicago, is completely up to him at this point. If Valentine is able to step into that 6th man role, being the main weapon of the bench unit, providing a spark whenever he is on the floor, similar to how Lou Williams is for any team he plays for, Denzel will have a real possibility of being in the Bulls future plans. However if his play is too one dimensional to make a serious impact or if he fails to remain healthy yet again, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Bulls ship him out before the trade deadline.
Valentine certainly has all the tools to be an X-Factor in the NBA, if that will be in a Bulls uniform remains to be seen.
We’ll see what the 2019-2020 season has in store for Valentine and the Bulls.
Photo credit: @clutch points, nba.com
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