Latest news with #NoaEssengue
New York Post
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
NBA Summer League dunk goes viral — and catches Caitlin Clark's attention
Bulls rookie Noa Essengue will be seeing the Pacers' Johnny Furphy in his nightmares. Essengue suffered a nasty posterization at the hands of Furphy in Monday's NBA Summer League game between Chicago and Indiana, and the entire basketball world reacted — with Caitlin Clark no exception. On her Instagram story, the WNBA superstar posted the image that has been circulating everywhere since the play: Furphy jamming the ball through the hoop, and Essengue making a priceless reaction that is sure to be memed for years to come. Advertisement 3 The Pacers' Johnny Furphy dunks on the Bulls' Noa Essengue during an NBA Summer League game on July 14, 2025. @Pacers/X Since being drafted No. 1 overall by the Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark has been a Pacers superfan and she made a number of courtside appearances during the team's run to the NBA Finals. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was another notable name to chime in, posting on X: 'Johnny MF Furphy sheeeeeesh' before calling the 20-year-old Australian 'your favorite player's favorite player' in a subsequent post. Advertisement 3 Caitlin Clark was one of many to react to Johnny Furphy's poster dunk on Noa Essengue. @caitlinclark22/Instagram Countless fans had their say, too, with dozens playfully captioning the picture of Essengue's reaction to the dunk. 'Lmao he gotta retire,' wrote one fan on X. 'Noa will never live this down,' posted another. Advertisement 'Noa Essengue hit rock bottom without playing a single minute of the regular season,' said a third, with another writing: 'When it is cold, and you stub your big toe on the corner of the dresser.' The Bulls and Essengue did get the last laugh, though, since Chicago emerged with a 114-105 win and Essengue scored 21 points to Furphy's 15. The Pacers picked Furphy in the second round of the 2024 draft, and though the 6-foot-8 wing hardly played last season, he's in line for an elevated role this year with Haliburton sidelined until 2026-27 with an Achilles injury. Advertisement 3 Caitlin Clark during a July 2025 game. NBAE via Getty Images The Bulls selected Essengue, an 18-year-old power forward from France, 12th overall in this year's draft.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pacers' Johnny Furphy throws down dunk of the Summer League in wild poster over Noa Essengue
The NBA's Summer League in Las Vegas is just getting started, but Johnny Furphy has already laid claim to what should easily go down as the dunk of the event. Furphy, after weaving his way up the court in the second quarter of the Indiana Pacers' matchup with the Bulls, cocked back and threw down a wild one-handed slam over Chicago rookie Noa Essengue on Monday afternoon at Cox Pavillion in Las Vegas. The replay and photos that came out of it were somehow even better. Essengue was taken by the Bulls took out of France with the No. 12 overall pick in the draft earlier this summer. He didn't stand a chance on the play. Advertisement Furphy is fresh off his rookie season in the league last season with the Pacers, who he helped reach the NBA Finals. After being selected with the No. 35 overall pick out of Kansas in the 2024 NBA Draft, Furphy averaged just shy of eight minutes per game last season for the Pacers. He averaged 14.3 points in the 10 games he played with their G League affiliate, too. Furphy had 11 points at halftime on Monday night. He finished with 15 points and shot 5-of-9 from the field in the Pacers' 114-105 loss to the Bulls. Essengue finished with 21 points for Chicago. While there is plenty of time left for someone to go after the 'Dunk of the Summer League' title, Furphy has set the bar incredibly high. That poster, which Essengue somehow already found himself on the wrong side of, is going to be very hard to beat.
Chicago Tribune
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Noa Essengue showed growth on the boards in Chicago Bulls summer league game — before leaving with an injury
Noa Essengue is learning from his mistakes. The rookie knows that's the only way to grow in the hectic environment of the NBA Summer League. In the 22 hours separating his first and second game with the Chicago Bulls, Essengue logged three separate film sessions to pore over every detail of his subpar debut against the Toronto Raptors and prepare for the Sacramento Kings. It was the most film the forward had ever watched in a single day — and the first time he had ever played games on back-to-back days — but Essengue welcomed the new reality of the NBA schedule. 'We needed it,' Essengue said. 'It was really important to just bounce back.' The change wasn't dramatic, but Essengue displayed a few more pieces of evidence to support Chicago's case for taking him No. 12 in the draft earlier this summer. He swatted a shot away on the break and finished a few of his own in transition. Most importantly, Essengue reignited his activity to pursue rebounds, logging a total of 10 — including four offensive boards — to finish the first half with a double-double. The growing pains remained — Essengue went 0-for-4 from 3-point range and missed the rim entirely on two shots. The rookie's youth showed every time he drove to the basket, struggling to match the physicality and strength of opposing defenders who bumped him off his intended path. But Essengue made the tangible changes that can be asked of and expected from a rookie in a 24-hour turnaround between his first and second summer league game. He drew a pair of shooting fouls to get himself to the line and improved his tracking of the ball to pursue second-chance opportunities. Most importantly, the rookie only turned the ball over once after coughing up seven turnovers in his debut Friday. 'He definitely wasn't thinking as much,' summer league coach Billy Donovan III said. 'He cut the dribbles down and I thought he was decisive with what he was doing. It's going to get better and better. … He's only 18, but he acts like he's 25 or 26. He's a very mature kid. He's very self-aware.' Noa Essengue's family is never far away — even with the Chicago Bulls rookie halfway across the worldThat progress, however, was cut short midway through the third quarter when Essengue suffered a right leg injury while attempting to fight through a screen. The rookie immediately went down while appearing to favor his right thigh, then exited the game. After several minutes on the bench, Essengue walked back to the locker room on his own. Essengue returned to the sideline for the fourth quarter with a pack of ice taped to his right thigh, but was ruled out for the remainder of the game. He finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block. After the game, the rookie said he took a knee to the top of his own knee during that screen, resulting in a contusion. The Bulls remain hopeful that he will be able to return for the remainder of summer league — beginning with Monday's game against the Indiana Pacers. Here are three other takeaways from Saturday's game. One of the main questions that Lachlan Olbrich needs to answer in the summer league is whether or not he can play the 5. At 6-foot-10, the forward is at risk of being labeled a 'tweener' — too small to reliably handle centers in the paint, but too bulky to operate on the perimeter. Saturday's game provided an ideal matchup for Olbrich to test himself against the Kings' Maxime Raynaud, a 7-foot-1 center who was dead set on dominating the paint. The matchup challenged Olbrich, who logged 12 points and six rebounds in the loss. The forward regularly seemed lost on defense, allowing Raynaud ample opportunity to navigate the paint. He missed all of his 3-point attempts and logged only five rebounds, allowing several offensive boards by the Kings after rotating off his man. Although he has already secured a two-way deal, Olbrich will still have to make significant improvements to work into the Bulls' lineup. While the focus might be on the rookies, Javon Freeman-Liberty has been the most reliable scorer for the Bulls through the first two games of the summer league. After logging 21 points in Friday's loss to Toronto, Freeman-Liberty led the Bulls again Saturday with 21 points. Freeman-Liberty is trying to elevate himself from the G League into two-way territory this season. The Chicago native and DePaul product worked his way onto the full NBA roster for the Toronto Raptors in the 2023-24 season after initially signing a two-way deal, but he was waived last July. While he is well set for another stint with the Windy City Bulls this season, his summer league audition could set the stage for a two-way deal elsewhere. The Bulls opted not to play second-year forward Matas Buzelis in Saturday's game, which was a back-to-back after a Friday night matchup with the Toronto Raptors. Buzelis started in that game — a 116-72 loss — in which he tallied 17 points and five rebounds. Buzelis will play in Monday's game against the Indianapolis Pacers, which will be his last outing of the summer league.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Bulls 2025 NBA Draft grades for every pick
The post Chicago Bulls 2025 NBA Draft grades for every pick appeared first on ClutchPoints. The picks are in. Last week, the Chicago Bulls used the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select French phenom Noa Essengue. In the second round, they traded away the 45th pick and ended up using the 55th pick to select Australian big man Lachlan Olbrich. Leading up to draft day , it sounded like the top contenders for the Bulls in the first round were Essengue, Derik Queen and Collin Murray-Boyles. Murray-Boyles was taken with the ninth pick in the draft, so it likely came down to Queen or Essengue. Queen has a lot of potential, but there were also a lot of concerns about him. The Bulls picked Essengue, and Queen was taken by the Atlanta Hawks with the next pick. Advertisement For a while leading up to the draft, it was sounding like the Bulls wanted to take Derik Queen. There were a lot of mixed opinions surrounding that pick in the fan base, but there are a lot of mixed reactions about Noa Essengue as well. He has a ton of potential and raw talent, but there are fans worried about the team's ability to develop him into an elite NBA player. The same goes for Lachlan Olbrich. They both need development. There were also talks about the Bulls potentially trading up to try to draft a player like Ace Bailey. Bailey was originally expected to be a top-three pick, but he slid down to #5. The Bulls decided that it wasn't worth trading up, and they were confident that they could get a talented player at 12. They went with Noa Essengue. Now the wait is over. The Bulls made their picks, and they got two players that have picked up valuable professional experience overseas. Let's grade these draft picks and break it all down. Bulls Noa Essengue draft grade: B Noa Essengue is coming to the Bulls from Europe as he has been playing for Ratiopharm Ulm, a professional team located in Ulm, Germany. Essengue played in 18 games during the 2024-25 season, and he averaged 12.4 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 56% from the floor. Essengue doesn't shoot a ton of threes and shot just under 30% from beyond the arc. Advertisement Essengue is one of the youngest prospects in the draft as he doesn't turn 19 until December. He has tremendous length as he stands at 6'10', and he has a 7'1″ wingspan. It might take Essengue a little while to flourish at the next level because of his age, but he has the tools to be successful. He is tremendous on the defensive end which is a big plus for the Bulls, and his athleticism and size make him difficult to defend on offense. His shooting is something that needs to be worked on as defenders don't have to worry about him shooting the deep ball very often. Because of that, it makes it more challenging for Essengue to easily get to the rim. If he can become a shooting threat, it will make him a completely different player. There was some chatter about the Bulls potentially drafting a guard despite having plenty of depth there, but they obviously did not go that route. Chicago needed to improve the frontcourt as Nikola Vucevic is not only nearing the end of his career, but he is also one of the team's most likely trade candidates. If Noa Essengue pans out the way the Bulls hope, they will have size and athleticism down low for a long time. Here is what ClutchPoints' NBA insider Brett Siegel said about Noa Essengue before the draft: Advertisement 'There continues to be a lot of talk about some teams wanting to trade up in this year's draft to grab Noa Essengue, a polarizing French prospect who has the length and lateral quickness to be an impactful forward right away,' Siegel wrote. 'While multiple teams inside the top 10 have interest in Essengue, there are also teams like the Thunder outside of the lottery that have been linked to him. Esengue could go anywhere from 8-15 in this year's draft, as it does appear as if Oklahoma City would be his floor.' Overall, this is a solid pick for the Bulls. We can analyze it as much as we want, but only time will tell how good of a pick this is. Noa Essengue clearly has the talent to be an outstanding player in the NBA, but the Bulls will need to be there to develop him along the way. If Chicago can do that, this pick should end up working out. Bulls Lachlan Olbrich draft grade: B- Rememeber, the Bulls were originally in possession of the 45th overall pick in the NBA Draft, but they traded that pick to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Bulls received the 55th overall pick and cash. With that 55th pick, the Bulls selected big man Lachlan Olbrich. Advertisement Lachlan Olbrich is a 6'9″, 230 lb power forward/center, and he has spent the last two years playing professional basketball in Australia. Olbrich played college basketball at UC Riverside, and then he went back to his home country to play for the Illawarra Hawks in the National Basketball League. Getting that professional experience readied Olbrich to be selected in the 2025 NBA Draft. Olbrich averaged 8.7 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game this past season as the Hawks went on to win the NBL championship. He is great at scoring down low, but he is not much of a shooter. That would be a good thing for him to add to his game, and he could use some work on the defensive end as well. Overall, Olbrich is a solid player to take in the second round of the NBA Draft, but this draft grade is lowered a bit because of Chicago's decision to trade away the 45th overall pick. This team is trying to build from the ground up with young talent, so why not hang on to your earlier draft pick? Olrbich certainly has more developing to do than Noa Essengue as he isn't as ready as the Bulls' first round draft pick, but the potential is there. The Bulls selected a couple of players that need work, but the team clearly has confidence in the staff to develop these guys into productive NBA players. Related: NBA rumors: How much money Lakers sent to Bulls in 2025 NBA Draft trade Related: Bulls news: Derrick Rose breaks silence on Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Bulls youngsters Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue prepare to lay a foundation in summer league
Matas Buzelis is embracing his new role as a young leader for the Chicago Bulls — even if it just lasts for the short duration of the NBA Summer League. A year ago, Buzelis was a teenager stumbling through the new jargon of a professional team during the lengthy days of summer league practices. Just months ago, he was still carrying out his rookie duties during road trips for the Bulls. But as the most experienced player on the summer league roster for the Bulls, Buzelis is taking his new role as a standard bearer seriously. Advertisement That begins with rookie Noa Essengue, a French teenager drafted at No. 12 by the Bulls who came to the U.S. with a few years of professional experience in Germany. 'He's only 18,' Buzelis said in response to a question about Essengue's skill set after Monday's practice at the Advocate Center. It was a gentle reminder from a second-year forward who is only 20 years old himself — and a reflection of the shared youth and hefty expectations that will bond the pair in Chicago. Buzelis won't turn 21 until October. Essengue won't turn 19 until December. But both players see themselves as future stars in the NBA and as a crucial foundation for the Bulls as a franchise. Advertisement 'We have the same goal to be better every day,' Essengue said. 'He plays a little bit like me and got already one year experience and I think he played really good. That's just helped me to have a role model on the court.' After finishing last season as a starter for the Bulls, Buzelis will at most play two games during the summer league. If it was up to him, the forward would play every single game of the tournament, but he isn't going to fight the front office for more minutes. The Bulls don't need Buzelis to play in summer league at all — after finishing his rookie season as a starter, the coaching staff and front office know exactly what they're getting from the second-year forward. But summer league provides an important opportunity for the Bulls to test how the two players share the court. It took Buzelis four months into his rookie season to begin regularly playing serious shifts of 20 or more minutes. At times, this slow progression drew the ire of fans, who were desperate to see glimpses of the promising young rookie who eagerly threw down dunks and scrambled to the floor for loose balls. This patient process ultimately paid off — Buzelis credits the slow build of his rookie season for his success in the final three months. Advertisement Essengue could see a similar timeline for his rookie outing. The forward is even younger than Buzelis. Although he brings some professional experience, he's also unlearning the habits — and a few of the rules — of FIBA basketball. The Bulls will likely opt to taper Essengue's minutes in the regular season. As a proponent of this technique, Buzelis hopes to provide guidance and support to help Essengue acclimate as quickly as possible to the NBA. 'It was a tough transition for me, but the more you play basketball and the more you play in the NBA, the game slows down,' Buzelis said. 'Being around elite guys with high IQ — like (Josh) Giddey, Coby (White), Vooch (Nikola Vučević) — the game just slows down for you and becomes easier. So Noa's going to go through a transition period and I think he'll be fine. He's mentally strong.' Buzelis and Essengue will have to wait for Friday's summer league debut against the Toronto Raptors to test out their partnership in a live game. But in practice, the pair are already clicking — even as competitors. Advertisement Chicago Bulls set full summer league roster, which includes Matas Buzelis, Yuki Kawamura and Josh Primo Essengue has insisted on guarding Buzelis in every drill. Buzelis said the two spent most practices 'going at it' — a physicality that drew immediate respect from the second-year, who spent his entire rookie season challenging more veteran teammates in the same manner. Essengue was purposefully drafted for many of his similarities to Buzelis. On defense, their physical profiles echo one another — 6-foot-10 wings with sprawling wingspans who can gobble up shots near the rim and redirect smaller ball handlers on the perimeter. 'I feel like defensively we're going to be a problem,' Buzelis said. Advertisement Buzelis prides himself on his work ethic — especially his tendency to be the first one in and last one out of the gym. So Buzelis was surprised when he showed up for the first day of summer league practices and found Essengue already getting to work at the Advocate Center before the team's scheduled workout. It didn't happen again. 'Once I saw that, I was like nah,' Buzelis said with a laugh. 'Nobody's beating me in.' But Buzelis doesn't mind the competition. He believes in the future the franchise is trying to build around young players like himself and Essengue. And as the Bulls rapidly rebuild this new foundation, Buzelis feels the team might have found a long-term fit in his newest teammate. Advertisement 'What I look at when I'm speaking to prospects is how much they love the game,' Buzelis said. 'Because if they love the game, they'll do anything it takes to figure out what they're missing, what they need to do to add to their game and what to build. I see the love that he has. That's what matters.'
