The 6-foot-6 Michael Carter-Williams won the Rookie of the Year award in the 2013-14 season but has underperformed since being traded to the bucks in the 2015. So how exactly will he fit in with the Bulls under Fred Hoiberg?
When the deal was made official, Bulls general manager Gar Forman said that he is excited to have Carter-Williams on board. "He is a two-way player who adds versatility and depth to our backcourt rotation," said Forman. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg is also excited with the addition of MCW and sees him a versatile player who can defend, rebound and facilitate for his teammates.
Carter-Williams has struggled with his shot in Milwaukee which caused him to lose his starting job even before he underwent hip surgery. When Khris Middleton suffered an injury, the Bucks became desperate to get some shooting and they are hopeful that they can get that from Tony Snell and Michael Beasley. Dwayne Wade came over from Miami and brings with him championship experience and veteran leadership. However, he too is not much of an outside threat. So is Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, and Robin Lopez.
But what MCW brings to the Bulls is his defense and rebounding. He has a 6-foot-6 body and plays point guard. He's athletic and is very active on defense. Although the Bulls lack shooting, they have a bunch of players who play excellent defense. Wade and Butler are terrific perimeter defenders while Lopez is a decent rim protector. MCW is also a terrific rebounder. He ranks second amongst guards in defensive rebounds, trailing only Russel Westbrook.
It will ne interesting to see how Hoiberg will use MCW with the surplus of guards in the current Bulls roster. Doug McDermott and Spencer Dinwiddie has had a strong showing in the preseason, and there's Jerian Grant and rookie Denzel Valentine.
That remains to be seen until the start of the regular season. The Bulls will play their first regular season game against the Boston Celtics on Oct. 27, 2016 at the United Center.
