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Central Division SG Rankings: Chicago Bulls Need Norm Powell's Scoring
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- Central Division SG Rankings: Chicago Bulls Need Norm Powell's Scoring
The Chicago Bulls ' offense took a major blow from the moment they traded away guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu and received back unproven talent and expiring contracts. The new-look Chicago front office led by executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham seemed to agree that the offense was lackluster, which is why he prioritized adding a proven shooter to the roster.
This led Graham to sign free agent shooting guard Norman Powell to a two-year, $45 million deal with a team option in the second year.
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The central division is home to one of the unquestioned best shooting guards in the league in Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mitchell just wrapped up his fourth season with Cleveland, making the All-NBA Second Team.
Outside of Mitchell, the SG position is nowhere near as star-studded as the PG position in the central division. With that in mind, Graham's signing of Powell looks even better on paper after this exercise, as Chicago has one of better 1-2 punches in the backcourt in the central division. While Giddey-Powell clearly isn't Mitchell-Harden, it's a solid combination offensively that should at least allow the Bulls to compete on most nights.
May 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard DonovanMitchell(45) drives the ball while defended by New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) in the third quarter during game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
1. Donovan Mitchell - stats vs CHI '25-'26: 30.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 42.9% 3PT
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2. Norman Powell - stats vs CHI '25-'26: 20.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 36.4% 3PT
3. Andrew Nembhard - stats vs CHI '25-'26: 15.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 7.0 APG, 26.3% 3PT4. Kevin Porter Jr. - stats vs CHI '25-'26: 9.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.5 APG, 0% 3PT
5. Duncan Robinson - stats vs CHI '25-'26: 13.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 50% 3PT
Bold indicates player made All-NBA or All-Star team
Duncan Robinson I rate at the bottom of the central division SG list, although it was close with Kevin Porter Jr. of the Milwaukee Bucks. Neither player was particularly impressive in their games against Chicago, and I would go as far as to say Porter was bad in his matchups. Porter put up less than 10 PPG in his matchups against the Bulls and was unable to hit a single 3-pointer. Robinson was a more dependable player than Porter, but rates at the bottom of my list because of the lack of versatility. '
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Robinson is strictly a floor-spacer, although he did make strides to become a better passer and defender. Even so, Porter (1.2 DBPM) is a better defender than Robinson (-0.1 DBPM) and offers a lot more in terms of on-ball creation.
The Pacers made the NBA Finals in 2025 in part because of Andrew Nembhard's ability to step up on offense when star PG Tyrese Haliburton was having an off night. Nembhard didn't put up gaudy stats over the regular season they made the NBA Finals (10 PPG, 5 APG, 29.1% 3PT), but his importance on the court is obvious when watching the Pacers.
Chicago's big offseason acquisition rates as the 2nd best SG in the central division. He is coming off unquestionably the best season of his career, leading the Miami Heat with 21.7 PPG en route to making his first All-Star appearance.
Powell comes in as an almost perfect offseason signing for the Bulls. The role he was so successful in with Miami will likely be his role with Chicago. The Bulls have a clear franchise player in Caleb Wilson. But it's not fair to expect a rookie to come out of the gates on fire as a scorer, even if it is a possibility.
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Powell is capable of lighting it up from deep as a catch-and-shoot player or off the dribble, and he will get a decent chunk of opportunities to do both in Chicago. The Bulls finished last season 6th in the NBA with 40.1 3-point attempts per game.
Billy Donovan is no longer the head coach in Chicago, but the Bulls will most likely still be one of the more aggressive teams from deep. Last season, Tiago Splitter's Portland Trail Blazers team finished 3rd in the league with 42.2 3-point attempts per game. Powell will come in as unquestionably the best shooter on the Bulls, and one of the better shooters in the central division. Powell finished last season in the top-30 in 3-point attempts per game while shooting an efficient 38% from deep.
Only time will tell how well the contract works out. But on paper, the Bulls should be pleased that they added a SG would gives them a chance to compete every night without making a long-term financial commitment.
