And if Julian Phillips became, like Ayo Dosunmu two seasons ago, the surprise rookie of Bulls ? Like his young teammate, he was drafted in the second round (35th position in 2023) and he also did not fail to impress with his state of mind and his personality, from his first year.
“ The whole locker room loves it, because when you have that energy, it becomes contagious » noted exactly Ayo Dosunmu concerning him. “ He's just a hard worker. It brings joy. Whenever you're around someone like that, it's always great to be around him. He's cool, relaxed and has a knack for improving. »
He seized the opportunity
What does not fail to confirm Alex Carusoanother guard who had to struggle to find a place in the NBA: “ He's pretty stoic in general. He tries to be a sponge, to learn. He does a good job of taking everything calmly. He knows the game and does these little things in a match to try to help us win. »
For now, Julian Phillips has a minimal role in the rotation of Chicago (23 games played out of 47, for an average of 5 minutes), but perhaps his performance this Sunday evening in Portland (11 points in 23 minutes) will help him push his coach to offer him a little more playing time. game in the future.
Or, in any case, more than minutes in “garbage time” as since the start of this 2023/24 financial year.
“ I just tried to play as hard as possible and help the team as much as I could » admitted afterwards the main person concerned, more responsible in the absence of Patrick Williams and above all author of a terrible volleyball counterattack on Malcolm Brogdon in the first quarter.
Experience renewed this week?
This performance by Julian Phillips was enough to seduce Billy Donovan at the end of this victorious night for the Illinois franchise.
“ The thing that impressed me the most between Summer League and today is his ability to understand things very quickly » admitted the Bulls coach. “ His IQ is very high, he instinctively knows when to cut with the circle, he finds his way in the heat of the moment, he is very meticulous in his decision making. I don't see him as a player who makes a lot of mistakes. […] I don't want to say this in a critical way, but he plays in a very small niche. He does the things he knows he can do. He's really good at cutting to the rim, he's really athletically strong on the rebound, he's obviously an incredible athlete. »
While waiting to learn more about the condition of Patrick Williams' foot, Billy Donovan can already count on Julian Phillips to fill in on the wing.
| Julian Phillips | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | CHI | 23 | 5 | 38.7 | 13.3 | 37.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.3 |
| Total | 23 | 5 | 38.7 | 13.3 | 37.5 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.3 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
