Victor Wembanyama will not be the only one at the club. The Spurs interior will not end the season as the only rookie to have signed a game with 20 points – 20 rebounds. Since Friday, he has been accompanied by a surprise guest, the Malian Adama Sanogo. The Bulls pivot, signatory of a “two-way contract”, took advantage of Chicago's large squad review on Friday in Washington to sign a gluttonous match with 22 points and 20 rebounds.
Without Nikola Vucevic or Andre Drummond, and with Torrey Craig a makeshift interior in the starting five, Billy Donovan had to quickly rely on the former best player in the NCAA Final Four last year with Connecticut. Sanogo gained momentum throughout the game, nothing very surprising for a player who had so far spent 31 minutes on an NBA floor this season… And to accumulate 35 against the Wizards.
“ For some of our young players, playing a match like that is a good thing because you don't have those kinds of experiences » explained the Bulls coach. “ Adama did a really good job. He started the match timidly and missed a lot of easy things near the rim, but he settled down in the second period and made some nice plays near the basket on the finish and rebound. »
Second 20-20 player in Bulls history
Second best rebounder in the G-League this season with the Windy City Bulls this season (12.7 rebounds, including 6.2 offensive), Sanogo confirmed his excellent instincts in this register, particularly under the opposing circle. If he is not the prototype of the modern pivot, the 22-year-old player used his fundamentals to dominate. Adama Sanogo notably accumulated 10 offensive rebounds on Friday, becoming the second player in Chicago history in “20-20”, after Charles Oakley in 1985.
“ What is most underrated about him, because he is not very aerial and a lot of his game relies on finding angles near the basket, is that he has excellent support » continues Donovan. “ We switched a lot defensively and he was good at moving and keeping the attackers in front of him. He is very good at covering pick-and-rolls. He had to defend on the ball carrier and contest 3-point shots several times, and this is also one of the underrated qualities he has. »
Still a little raw in his game, and facing admittedly quite limited opposition, Sanogo still has to make the transition from college to the professional world. But he knew how to stay ready until the moment he was going to be used by the Bulls staff. “ I've been waiting for this moment all season, so to be able to play and do this now, it feels good » recognized the pivot. “ It's like a dream come true for me. I think that's why I'm here. I don't think I got here by chance, and I'm here because these guys believe in me. They think I might have an opportunity. I have to show it too, that I am capable of it. You don't get those kinds of chances often, so it was my mindset to take advantage of it. »
Chicago already assured of finishing 9th in the East and hosting the Hawks, Adama Sanogo could also be entitled to minutes this Sunday in New York. Nikola Vucevic should be back, not Andre Drummond, hoped for by the Bulls for the play-in, just like Ayo Dosunmu.
