Bulls Rookie Noa Essengue Puts Up Solid NBA Preseason Debut vs. Cavaliers

Essengue's first preseason points came late in the third quarter, but he was still finding ways to make an impact. Three of his five boards were offensive rebounds, and he managed to get to the free-throw line twice, knocking down three shots.

The Bulls took the 6-foot-10 wing due to his mobility on both sides of the floor. Essengue is a versatile defender with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and impressive athleticism, but can also make plays cutting off the ball on offense.

Still, against the Cavaliers, he got to the basket off the dribble multiple times and nearly threw down a dunk that was called a foul. Even some of his weaknesses like three-point shooting and ball handling were solid last night.

In NBA Summer League, the 18-year-old averaged 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals across three games. His most impressive performance in Las Vegas included a 21-point outing (7-14 FG, 3-8 3PT) in a 114-105 win over the Indiana Pacers.

If Essengue can contribute this much in such little time in his preseason debut, there's a lot of promise for the youngster as the Bulls continue their rebuild. Chicago has plenty of youth, including Essengue, Buzelis, Ayo Dosunmo, Dalen Terry and more.

What's even more enticing about Essengue is that he turned 18 last December. He is still so young with more room to grow. Leading up to the draft, many believed he could end up being another version of Jaden McDaniels, Amen Thompson or even Kawhi Leonard on defense.

The Bulls will face the Cavaliers once again tomorrow, this time at the United Center. Essengue could receive more minutes in his second preseason game, which means more opportunities to see his potential.