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OKC Thunder 30 for 30 Part 5: Bullish on Denzel Valentine

By Lawrence George

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 29: Denzel Valentine #45 of the Chicago Bulls jocks for a position during the game against the Miami Heat on March 29, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 29: Denzel Valentine #45 of the Chicago Bulls jocks for a position during the game against the Miami Heat on March 29, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OKC Thunder target Denzel Valentine
CHARLOTTE, NC – FEBRUARY 27: Jeremy Lamb #3 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball against Denzel Valentine #45 of the Chicago Bulls on February 27, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Defense

Valentine is one of the more enigmatic defenders whose effort comes and goes. He regularly gets burned off the bounce due to his poor defensive instincts, lack of lateral footwork and athleticism.

Additionally, Valentine doesn’t use his big 6’6 frame to physically impose himself on smaller guards. At times, he looks like he’s stuck in mud and looks better suited to defending spot-up shooters who rarely move from one spot.

His issues on the defensive end resemble those he faced in college. At Michigan, Valentine was hidden on defense and avoided one on one match-ups with elite isolation players.

Despite possessing good length, he must work on keeping his hands up at the very least. At this stage, Valentine needs to work on being a better team defender as he seems to be a mediocre one on one at best.

Valentines development appears to be capped on a Chicago Bulls team allergic to defending the hoop. If he is to improve defensively, it will be done independently of his current team.

Drawing Fouls

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Analytics have pushed the NBA toward three primary ways of scoring – 3-PT shooting, finishing at the rim (lay-ups or dunks) and free throw shooting.

Elite offensive players like James Harden, Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook all attack the basket, looking to finish at the hole or drawing fouls.

Valentine does neither one.

He shot an average of 0.7 free throws in 27.2 minutes last year after shooting just 0.3 free throws in his rookie season. Playing close to 30 minutes and shooting under one free throw shows Valentine’s reluctance to attack the hole. Granted Valentine lacks explosiveness off the dribble, his inability to create contact when he gets into the paint is concerning.

The 24 year-old is a primarily a scorer. If he is to take the next step, Valentine must get to the line for easy points.

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