Julian Phillips doesn't often get to play for the Chicago Bulls. But when he does, the 20-year-old rookie leaves a strong impression.
It took only a few minutes for Phillips to stand out in The win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, leaping through the air for a two-handed volleyball-style block. And Phillips also left a memorable impression on the United Center crowd in the opening minutes of Tuesday’s 118-107 loss to the Toronto Raptors, making a 3-pointer and drawing a foul to score his first points in the first quarter.
The first impression matters. But if the Bulls are going to make it through the remaining two weeks before the All-Star break, Phillips will have to take on a big role.
The Bulls currently don't have a power forward as both Patrick Williams and Torrey Craig are injured for at least two more weeks. Coach Billy Donovan plans to use a combination of Phillips and guard Alex Caruso to fill the role.
It’s tough for a team to rely on the consistency of a 20-year-old rookie. But Phillips has shown in his first two games subbing for Williams that he can reliably provide one important thing: energy.
“Young players, they have their good and bad moments,” Donovan said. “For younger players, these situations can create opportunities and I give him credit for being prepared and giving us a real boost off the bench. So I have a lot of confidence in him for the way he has worked to get ready to go in there. I think his athleticism and his energy, if we can get that into the game on a regular basis, that will be just as important as making shots.”
Phillips scored nine points and grabbed a rebound off the bench in Tuesday’s loss. Here are three other things to learn.
1. Dalen Terry’s injury raises concerns for the Bulls.
The Bulls suffered another injury setback in the last 30 seconds of the third quarter when Dalen Terry appeared to injure his right ankle.
Terry raced down the court to try a layup in transition but collided with two Toronto players before falling awkwardly on top of several photographers on the sideline. Clearly in pain, Terry tried to stand up twice before falling to the ground to hold his ankle. He was taken to the locker room by the training staff and did not put any weight on his foot.
Donovan said after the game X-rays showed no major damage to Terry and his injury has been diagnosed as a sprain. He was using crutches in the locker room.
The loss is big for the Bulls, who are already without Zach LaVine, Williams, and Craig. Terry was expected to be one of the players to help cover minutes at power forward. Without him, the Bulls will have to depend only on Caruso and Phillips to play the position.
2. A 16-point lead in the first half was wasted in the third quarter.
The Bulls were in a strong position in the first half, taking a 16-point lead by halftime. But they continued to fall into a pattern of starting the second half slowly, letting the Raptors outscore them 37-26 in the third quarter.
The Raptors drew even in the game with 2:46 remaining in the third quarter.
DeRozan said that they cannot gradually start playing in the second half of a game. They must take the lead and play with more urgency instead of trying to ease their way back into the game. Every game is important at this critical point in the season.
Another loss was characterized by turnovers.
The Bulls have been consistently good at protecting the ball this season, but their losses in the last three weeks have been fueled by high turnover nights.
In Tuesday's game, the Bulls gave up 30 points from 17 turnovers, with 21 of the turnovers being scored in the second half. DeRozan turned the ball over five times as the Raptors used traps to force him to pass. The Raptors also gave up 14 points from 19 turnovers, but the Bulls couldn't make up the difference.
The Raptors gave away 14 points from 19 turnovers, which partially offset their performance, but the Bulls were unable to compensate for the difference.
()
