The Chicago Bulls aren’t a team full of top-tier talent. Aside from Dwayne Wade, nobody on the team has a winning pedigree. As Summer League rolls on, it’s been Antonio Blakeney that has gotten the attention of the Chicago fan base. Could he be the “winner” the Bulls need to build around?
Not much is known about Blakeney. He’s an undrafted guard out of LSU, who was overshadowed by Ben Simmons during his Freshman year. Thankfully, he gained a lot more confidence going into his Sophomore year, scoring 17 points per game. Blakeney also took All-SEC second team honors as well.
It’s not uncommon for a player to find success outside of the NBA Draft’s first round. Blakeney could be the next in a long line of 2nd round/ undrafted players to make a splash on his team’s roster. If an impressive Summer League is any indication, Blakeney will be a difference maker for the Bulls quite soon.
With an average of 16.8 points per game at Summer League, Blakeney was one of the biggest surprises amongst all NBA talent. In fact, Chicago was so impressed they signed him to a two-way contract, meaning he will spend time on the NBA and D-league rosters of the Bulls.
There isn’t a person bold enough to think Blakeney is going to take Dwyane Wade’s job. But if the three-time NBA Champion is indeed bought out, you can expect Blakeney to receive a lot of minutes on a rebuilding Bulls team. That is, of course, if they consider him at SG and not PG, in which case he might sit behind Kris Dunn.
Whatever the case may be, Antonio Blakeney has impressed the Chicago Bulls front office. He’s not the top option for Chicago at this point, but given a few years, he could be a mainstay in the team’s backcourt. That could mean a starting role or he’d come off the bench as the team’s Sixth Man. Still, he’s got a shot to stick with the Bulls. Not bad for an undrafted rookie.