After weeks of rumors and anticipation, the Chicago Bulls’ pick is in. Choosing to dip their feet in the overseas talent pool, the Bulls have selected French power forward Noa Essengue with the 12th overall pick. Despite rumors that the Bulls would trade Coby White or Lonzo Ball before the draft in an attempt to gain draft capital, the Bulls stayed put at 12th. Essengue has one of the upsides in this class and projects to be a perfect fit with the Bulls. Let’s dive into this fit with the Bulls.
Chicago Bulls Noa Essengue Pick is a Perfect Upside Swing
Essengue’s Impact
Behind Cooper Flagg, Essengue is the second youngest player in the 2025 draft class at just 18 years old. Essengue spent two seasons playing professionally overseas in the EuroCup league. Playing for the German-based Ratiopharm club, he saw limited minutes in his first season but flashed star potential in year two. Over 18 games, Essengue averaged 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.
Essengue caught the eye of the Chicago front office with his defensive skills and rim-attacking ability. Essengue averaged a combined 1.9 steals and blocks per game, which ranked as the fifth most in the EuroCup last season. When guarding defensive assignments, he relies on his length to contest shots and swipe the ball from the handler. He also excels at using his body to get physical and grab boards, leading to lots of second-chance points. For a Bulls team that ranked 25th in offensive rebounds per game last year, Essengue’s ability to get boards at the rim will make an instant impact. Overall Essengue defense and versatility to a shallow Bulls frontcourt.
Scouts have noted that Essengue’s three-point shooting could be an area of concern. On 34 attempts, Essengue shot an ugly 29.4% from behind the arc last year. However, in a Bulls offense that ranked third in made three-pointers per game with 15.4, Essengue will have lots of room to grow and polish his shooting mechanics. Regardless his upside is undeniable and it’s perfect for the Bulls as they enter a rebuild.
The Last Word
With such limited experience due to his young age, Essengue is the definition of a “high-risk, high-reward” player. Only time will tell if Essengue’s rebounding and defensive skills help him live up to the intriguing hype that allowed the Bulls to take a worthy gamble on him.
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