ICYMI, Denzel Valentine had a career-night this past Saturday v. LeBron James & the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though Chicago didn't come away w/ the W, it served as a sort of breakout game - Valentine almost matched L. James in pts (34! to James's 35), shot lights out from deep.
CAREER-HIGH 34!, 8! TRIPLES, 7! BOARDS, 6! DIMES, 0! TOS v. CLE
D. Valentine's "Most Improved" Traits:
- Scoring variety
- Playmaking
- Patience
In year two, Valentine's beginning to round out his all-around game - he's more inventive off the bounce, can spot up and hit open threes, come off curls and does a nice job pacing himself before making a play to an open teammate.
But can he get better in limited action? Yearning to become a starter, Valentine must first show he can maximize efficiency in under 30 min./night*.
*playing well when you know you're getting a certain no. of touches & opportunity is one thing, as D. Valentine did w/ CHI lacking K. Dunn, L. Markkanen & Z. LaVine; playing well w/ (more) limited shots, opportunities (i.e. 1-2 mistakes = bench) & playing time is another...remains a work in progress