Reggie Bullock is pronounced Reggie Bull-LAHK apparently, but let’s just say it however Ralph Lawler says it and call it a day. I’m good with that.
Anyway, here’s a little excerpt of a piece I did on the Clippers rookie swingman over at ESPNLA.com. You can read the full piece and change the color of this link as an added bonus by clicking here.
Summer league is like a basketball house of mirrors. As roles get distorted, many players cease to resemble what we envisioned them to be. That’s how Otto Porter can look like a D-League player while Jeff Taylor looks like the second coming of Scottie Pippen. It’s a confusing place.
Every once in a while, however, you’ll see a player that remains unchanged by the setting and his surroundings. This year, that player was Reggie Bullock.
There’s an old basketball mantra that goes like this: If you can shoot, you can play.
Reggie Bullock can shoot.
The Los Angeles Clippers tabbed the UNC product with the 25th pick for that very reason, and his debut display didn’t disappoint. Bullock’s release is high and tight, his motion is efficient, and he always seems to be squared up to the rim. It’s a shooter’s shot, and it’s surprising when it doesn’t splash through the net.
Analyzing a pure shooter like Bullock can become dangerously results-oriented, so it’s important to look at how Bullock creates those opportunities to unleash that pretty jumper.
That’s where Bullock truly stood out in Las Vegas, as no one I saw manipulated their defender with more regularity and with more ease. Bullock was brilliant using off-ball screens, curling tightly to the open space on the floor, remaining balanced with his feet under him at all times. Every decision off the screen seemed to be the right one. It wasn’t uncommon to see Bullock shoot more than he dribbled over the course of a game.
That ability to use screens should quickly endear the rookie to his coaching staff. Doc Rivers loved using a single-double baseline screen in Boston for Ray Allen to run around, and now J.J. Redick will play that role with the starters, with Bullock providing some offensive continuity for the second unit.
