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When people think about Las Vegas, basketball likely doesn’t come to mind.
But of the NBA’s three summer leagues, the Vegas event is the biggest and arguably the best when it comes to the amount of talent and level of competition.
Here are the top four storylines for Bulls fans to watch during the team’s 10 days in Sin City:
Fred Hoiberg’s schemes
All NBA rookies participate in summer league. That includes coaches. Last summer Steve Kerr manned the sidelines for Golden State in Vegas, and this year new Bulls coach Hoiberg will do the same. It’ll be the first time fans can glimpse what the offense will look like next season. Tom Thibodeau, for as successful as he was in piling up W’s, was knocked for his lack of creativity on offense, particularly with legitimate scoring threats in Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler.
Hoiberg had a reputation at Iowa State for running a pro system, and during his introductory press conference, he seemed to already have an idea how he would use each player on the roster. It’ll be fun to see what kind of schemes he experiments with this summer.
Bobby Portis’ versatility
If Bulls fans didn’t see much of Portis at Arkansas, that’s understandable. Chicago is in the heart of B1G country, and SEC games don’t get much attention in the Midwest. But in Vegas, Portis’ versatility will be on display.
Expect him to be one of the featured players in Hoiberg’s system this summer and for some of the offense to run through him. The 6-foot-11 forward can do a little of everything and will be a significant addition to Chicago’s big-man rotation.
Darrell Williams’ second chance
Once a star at Dunbar Academy on the South Side, Williams’ basketball journey took him to Oklahoma State, where he was charged with and convicted of sexual assault. However, his conviction was overturned with help from the Chicago Innocence Center, and he was able to finish his college career at Texas A&M-Commerce.
The 6-8 Williams now has an opportunity to realize his basketball dreams and compete in the NBA. Playing for his hometown team should make things even sweeter. Even if he doesn’t latch on with Chicago, Williams might catch the eye of a GM or scout and add to the rich legacy of players from the Windy City in the NBA.
Doug McDermott’s recovery
McDermott’s knee surgery kept him off the floor for much of his rookie season. By the time he was healthy again, Thibodeau had all but taken him out of the rotation. Still, McDermott figures to be a key contributor under fellow Iowa native Hoiberg. McDermott already is a lights-out shooter, but it’ll be interesting to see what wrinkles he’s added to his game.
Bryan Crawford is a RedEye special contributor. @mrcraw4d
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