Rookie Status: Promising, but not ready yet
Noa Essengue entered the NBA with high expectations after being selected twelfth overall in the 2025 draft. The 18-year-old French forward has exceptional physical tools: he stands 6 feet tall and has a long wingspan. He impressed abroad with his athleticism and potential. Still, the Bulls coaching staff insists he still needs significant growth before he can earn consistent playing time. According to coach Billy Donovan, “He understands space and movement… but he really needs to invest a lot of time into his body.”
Areas of Focus: Strength, Footwork and Reverse Matchups
Essengue’s shift from the European game to the NBA spotlight has exposed specific areas in need of improvement. He struggles with physicality when guarding in half-court sets and is working on improving his footwork. Donovan noted that one of his tasks is to “learn to play a little lower to the ground because he’s missing a little bit of strength.” While his defensive instincts shine when playing in the open floor, the contact and pick-and-roll aspects of the NBA game are currently challenging him.
Schedule context: patience required
The Bulls already have a deep frontcourt with established players ahead of Essengue in the rotation. Players like Matas Buzelis, Isaac Okoro, Patrick Williams and Julian Phillips all picked up more minutes during preseason, initially pushing Essengue towards a development role. With its limited preseason averages (3.8 points and 1.8 rebounds over about 14 minutes per game), the team is clearly taking a measured approach.
Strategy: G League time and practice returns
The Bulls plan to give Essengue time to hone his craft. He could split time between the NBA team and their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, once that schedule begins. That development path will allow him to get reps, build strength and adapt to the NBA’s faster learning curve. Coach Donovan emphasized the need for improvement “on defense in space… guarding one-on-one… and being able to handle the physicality.”
Looking ahead
Essengue remains a long-term investment for the Bulls. He has the length, mobility and basketball IQ to fit the organization’s scheme. Yet the realistic expectation at this point is growth, and not immediate impact. As a Bulls executive recently said, “we’re not going to set high expectations for what’s going to happen.” With structured development, Essengue could become a valuable rotation piece over time — and perhaps even more so — if he gets the little things right.
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