The Chicago Bulls notched an impressive start to the 2025-26 NBA Season.<\/p>\n
Chicago started the year with a 5-0 record and wins against Detroit, Orlando, Atlanta and New York, four teams fighting for playoff spots. Since then, though, the team’s luck has changed.<\/p>\n
Since the Bulls’ impressive start, Billy Donovan’s team has notched a 4-12 record and now sits at 11th in the Eastern Conference, once spot out of Play-In positioning.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the team received more bad news. Ahead of Chicago’s contest with the Nets, which Brooklyn won 113-103, Donovan announced that rookie wing Noa Essengue will undergo surgery on his left shoulder, bringing an end to the 2025 lottery pick’s rookie season.<\/p>\n
After being selected at No. 12 overall in June, Essengue appeared in just two of Chicago’s first 20 games before Donovan announced the injury.<\/p>\n
Essengue logged 3 minutes and 53 seconds of action in a 121-120 victory against the Washington Wizards on Nov. 22, going 0-of-1 from beyond the arc while recording no additional stats. Essengue was a -9 in the box score in that contest.<\/p>\n
In a 143-130 loss at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans, Essengue spent 2 minutes and 9 seconds on the court, going 0-of-2 from the field while notching a steal and a foul. Essengue finished as a -6 in the box score against New Orleans.<\/p>\n
While the Bulls have plenty of other young pieces to put on the floor, not being able to get a glimpse of Essengue’s potential development as a rookie is likely a let down for Chicago. Even if the 18-year-old wasn’t going to be much of a factor for the team this year, getting to see how Essengue improved, or didn’t improve, throughout the year would help the Bulls formulate a plan for the rookie.<\/p>\n
Now, the team will have to wait another season to get a full picture on what the French wing prospect could be, and how he fits within the organization’s plans.<\/p>\n
Playing with Ratiopharm Ulm in 2024-25, Essengue averaged 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 56% from the field and 29.4% from beyond the arc. <\/p>\n
At 18-years-old, Essengue was a raw prospect entering the draft, so his lack of playing time as a rookie isn’t shocking. Still, being able to gather more data on the 6-foot-8, 200-pound wing would have been helpful for the Bulls.<\/p>\n
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