Red Bull On The Rise

Denzel Valentine is a big prospect for Chicago

- Stephen Laroche

Sometimes a rookie needs to pay their dues before becoming a regular in the NBA. Teams do not want to rush the development of a prospect and it takes a little time for them to get more game action.

In the case of Denzel Valentine, it appears that the Chicago Bulls are taking this route and the end result could worth the wait. The 14th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draftout of Michigan State, he was a First Team All-American and won several awards for his play.

“Probably the AP Player of the Year,” he said when asked by Beckett Basketball about which honor meant the most to him. “That’s the longest Player of the Year award that they’ve been giving out in college basketball, so to win that was definitely huge. That was was a great award for me this year.”

A second-generation talent, Valentine spoke of the influence his father and Michigan State alum, Carlton, has had on his career to date.