Jalen Smith's Redemption Season: From Benchwarmer to Team Anchor
The Chicago Bulls' big man Jalen Smith has turned his season around, and the numbers are telling a story of transformation. Gone are the days of ineffective play and benchwarmers, replaced by a consistent contributor who is now crucial to the team's success.
Coach Billy Donovan had envisioned using a two-big-man lineup, particularly with the addition of Zach Collins before the trade deadline. However, Smith's performance under this strategy was lacking. The result? He went from being a key rotation piece at the start of the season to an end-of-the-bench player by April.
But Smith has since gotten his act together, and his hard work during the offseason has paid off. With a new sense of purpose, he's taking on bigger roles, including playing both power forward and center, and is now a vital part of the team's chemistry.
"Lots of times when they threw me out there last year, I wasn't being impactful," Smith admitted. "I was getting targeted by the defense a lot. I wasn't rebounding. I wasn't really doing anything to help the team." This season, his focus is on being ready at any moment and making an impact.
The numbers are now reflecting Smith's improved play. He's averaging 9.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, with 18.7 minutes of playing time – the most he has had since the 2022-23 season. His plus-minus rating is also a significant improvement, with a plus-61 through 41 games this season.
His teammates are taking notice too. Nikola Vucevic praises Smith's efforts in protecting the paint and rebounding the ball, saying, "He's been great for us... Playing [power forward and center], different situations, different positions." The two-big-man lineup is working effectively, with a good chemistry between the players.
While there are still questions about the team's overall performance, Smith has shown himself to be a reliable contributor. With his current form, he's now seen as a bridge guy for potential trades involving Vucevic or Collins. His on-court performance will be crucial in determining whether the Bulls can make a push for the playoffs.
For Smith, it's all about doing what it takes to stay out there and contribute to the team's success. "It's about how I stand out with the four other guys I'm playing with," he said. With his newfound confidence and work ethic, Jalen Smith is no longer just a benchwarmer – he's a key player on the Bulls' roster.
The Chicago Bulls' big man Jalen Smith has turned his season around, and the numbers are telling a story of transformation. Gone are the days of ineffective play and benchwarmers, replaced by a consistent contributor who is now crucial to the team's success.
Coach Billy Donovan had envisioned using a two-big-man lineup, particularly with the addition of Zach Collins before the trade deadline. However, Smith's performance under this strategy was lacking. The result? He went from being a key rotation piece at the start of the season to an end-of-the-bench player by April.
But Smith has since gotten his act together, and his hard work during the offseason has paid off. With a new sense of purpose, he's taking on bigger roles, including playing both power forward and center, and is now a vital part of the team's chemistry.
"Lots of times when they threw me out there last year, I wasn't being impactful," Smith admitted. "I was getting targeted by the defense a lot. I wasn't rebounding. I wasn't really doing anything to help the team." This season, his focus is on being ready at any moment and making an impact.
The numbers are now reflecting Smith's improved play. He's averaging 9.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, with 18.7 minutes of playing time – the most he has had since the 2022-23 season. His plus-minus rating is also a significant improvement, with a plus-61 through 41 games this season.
His teammates are taking notice too. Nikola Vucevic praises Smith's efforts in protecting the paint and rebounding the ball, saying, "He's been great for us... Playing [power forward and center], different situations, different positions." The two-big-man lineup is working effectively, with a good chemistry between the players.
While there are still questions about the team's overall performance, Smith has shown himself to be a reliable contributor. With his current form, he's now seen as a bridge guy for potential trades involving Vucevic or Collins. His on-court performance will be crucial in determining whether the Bulls can make a push for the playoffs.
For Smith, it's all about doing what it takes to stay out there and contribute to the team's success. "It's about how I stand out with the four other guys I'm playing with," he said. With his newfound confidence and work ethic, Jalen Smith is no longer just a benchwarmer – he's a key player on the Bulls' roster.
Smells like Coach Billy Donovan has learned to not mess around when it comes to playing time... or at least, that's what I'm taking away from Jalen Smith's story 
. Dude went from being a benchwarmer to a team anchor in like, two seconds? That's some next-level coaching right there 
. Seriously though, 9.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game is some solid production for a big man. And I love how Smith is taking the lessons learned from his time on the bench and applying them to his new role – that's what I call a growth mindset 
. Not saying he was trash last year or anything, but this is like a whole different Jalen Smith 
. Can't wait to see how this plays out for the Bulls in the rest of the season 
, he's like went from being benchwarmer to actual contributor. His hardwork and dedication are really paying off. Coach Billy Donovan must be happy too 
. The two-big-man lineup is working well for the Bulls, and it's great that Nikola Vucevic is praising Smith's efforts 
. He's not just playing power forward and center, he's also bringing his A-game on both ends of the court 
. The fact that he's averaging 9.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game is a testament to how much he's improved 
. Now, we'll have to wait and see if the Bulls can make a push for the playoffs with Smith as their anchor player 
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. He was literally getting roasted by defenders all game long 
and wasn't really contributing to the team. But he took it upon himself to work hard over the offseason and now he's a whole different story 
! He's playing both power forward and center, rebounding like crazy (6.7 rebounds per game!), and even scoring 9.4 points per game 
. Nikola Vucevic is raving about Smith's defensive skills in the paint 
. The two-man lineup with Collins (who just joined) is working really well, and now Jalen's seen as a solid contributor 
️. His confidence and work ethic are shining through, and that's all we can ask for 
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. his work ethic is definitely paying off! 
. It's all about doing the little things right, you know? Protecting the paint, rebounding... it's those small wins that can make a huge difference 
. Now he's looking like a bridge guy for trades, which is wild 
. The question is, how much longer can he keep this up?
! it's all about him wanting to stay out there and do what's best for the team, you feel? 
thats pretty vague for me, need some sources on that. also, whats with the two-big-man lineup now? was it always part of the coach's plan or did they switch gears mid-season? 
, now we just gotta see if the rest of the team can step up their game too!
this two big man lineup is working well & chemistry between the players is on point 
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. but at the same time, it's also pretty clear that his growth is directly tied to coach donovan's willingness to adjust his role and strategy. like, who wouldn't want to be played more with a new sense of purpose 
. I mean, if he was struggling so bad last year, it's only natural that Billy Donovan would try to fix those issues with some extra work and whatnot.
. I mean, we've seen guys come in off the bench and suddenly become MVPs before - it never quite works out that way 
. So yeah, he's definitely doing some things well, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves here... 
. Will the Bulls be able to make a push for the playoffs? Only time will tell 
. But one thing's for sure - Jalen Smith has definitely earned his place as a reliable contributor on the team 
i mean we all knew he had it in him, but it's great to see him putting in the work and actually seeing results on the court 
i mean, we've all been there where we doubt ourselves or feel like we're not good enough, but Jalen's got that fire in his belly now