Chicago Bulls management are still sold on Tony Snell being a rotation player, strong defender and shooter. As for Snell, he had a fairly typical rookie season -- some ups, some downs. I’m not sold on him as a rotation player, but management is. They think he will become an excellent shooter and strong defender. He has the length for the latter. Mailbag: K.C. Johnson Read more http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ls-mailbag-20140610,0,7775762.story?track=rss He has the tools to be an important rotation player. He is smooth, has length, and has range in shooting. He needs to be more confident and aggressive. If he is still on the Bulls and not packaged in a big trade, I am curious to see how much improvement he may have made over the summer.
I read comments at various sites that rip on Snell. I'm inclined to give him a couple more years before calling him an bust. Though he didn't set the league on fire, he also wasn't a total wash out. He actually played 9 minutes a game in the playoffs for us. Given how Thibs doesn't rush the rookies, I believe there's room for growth.
I feel the same way Denny. No he didnt make a big splash, but he can become better. It depends on what he does this summer, and how much he wants to be a good player.
It could be the Bulls drafted him for the 3D (3pt shooting/defender) role and he's not in his comfort zone. I read the bulls like his work ethic, and he has the physical talents.
I think Snell got over his awe of playing in the NBA and that's important. I didn't think he was a very good defender, but he certainly has the potential to be a plus wing defender. By all accounts, his work ethic is top drawer. The thing is, the kid can shoot and the Bulls need shooting. I'm not sold, but I am hopeful.
I think if Snell can become a 38%+ three-point shooter he should be able to make it. I thought his defense was really quite good in the playoffs, and I suspect a reliable outside shot will allow him to play into his other capabilities on offense much more easily.
A good point guard back up(not Hinrich) on the second unit, and having dunleavy in there as well and maybe someone like Mirotic, would leave him open more times than not. If he can improve, he could help this team.
Bulls’ Tony Snell could learn lesson from Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard Considering what’s on the line for Snell this offseason, he should have Leonard on speed dial. Picked 20th overall by the Bulls last June, Snell played to mixed reviews in his rookie season. By December, he was a rotation player for coach Tom Thibodeau, averaging 6.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game and raising eyebrows with his ability to shoot from long range. By March and April, Snell was an afterthought, with questions arising if he was more Marquis Teague than Jimmy Butler. Teague, the Bulls’ first-round draft pick in 2012 (29th overall), never lived up to promise and was traded this season. Butler, the Bulls’ first-round pick in 2011 (30th), endured a rough rookie year but now is a starter with a high ceiling. What Snell shows the Bulls this fall will carry a lot of weight regarding which direction the 6-7 swingman is headed. Leonard could help. Like Snell, Leonard had an up-and-down rookie season in 2011-12, averaging 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds while playing with future Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Then it clicked for him that summer, when he focused on defense first. “I just really worked on the spots on the floor where I can get the ball, where I was going to get the ball, and where I can be the most aggressive,’’ Leonard said of his improvement. “But first and foremost, I focused on defense because that’s how you’re going to get on the floor.’’ Sound familiar? Defense was a big reason Snell was off the floor by the end of the year. It’s up to Snell to add some muscle, then earn minutes with stops. Read more http://www.suntimes.com/sports/bask...on-from-spurs-kawhi-leonard.html#.U5meTfldWSq
