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Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif
Supposedly coveted by multiple franchises in the run-up to the Draft, Noa Essengue has finally landed in Chicago. While there, he will have to learn how to work with Patrick Williams, who gave his opinion on his new French teammate.
He could have opted to take part in match 5 of the German championship finals, which he had been playing for Ratiopharm Ulm. However, Noa Essengue made a different decision, one he doesn’t seem to regret despite his club’s defeat. It has to be said that this was one of the happiest days of his life, if not the happiest, when he was selected 12th in the recent NBA Draft.
After spending the last few months climbing the experts’ projections, the young French winger knew a priori that he was destined to become a lottery pick. In fact, he seemed to be attracted by the prospect of being selected with the 9th pick, if we are to believe his supposed appeal to the franchise concerned. However, it is in fact the Bulls who will be making his big league debut.
Patrick Williams honest about Noa Essengue’s arrival in Chicago
Like Joakim Noah a few years ago, Essengue’s mission will be to bring Chicago back to the top of the NBA food ladder. And, according to Essengue, he intends to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious compatriot. In the meantime, franchise GM Marc Eversley was very optimistic, speaking to CHSN, about Essengue’s integration into the team and Billy Donovan’s system:
Marc Eversley: “He definitely fits in with the way we want to play. When you select in the 12th position of the draft, you have several choices. As far as we’re concerned, we decided internally to take the best player available. That said, Noa is much more than that. He was the best player available, but he also fitted in perfectly with our game plan.”
With a profile supposedly adapted to the Bulls’ needs, the French international will have to find his place alongside Patrick Williams. Williams, who has been based in Illinois for five years, is a key figure in the team’s dressing room and was therefore also asked about the Frenchman’s imminent arrival. And it’s fair to say that he’s equally enthusiastic about it:
Patrick Williams: “I love this pick. I can’t wait to play with him. I think he’ll fit in well with what we’re trying to do game-wise, so it’s shaping up to be fun.”
These positive comments should help the new Bull to build his confidence ahead of his first steps in the league.
