With the 12th overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Noa Essengue. Originally from France, he was playing professionally in Germany when the Bulls drafted him. At only 18 years old, many assumed he would be a developmental project and not see many minutes in his rookie campaign. A few of his most coveted assets were his athleticism, defensive versatility, and playmaking abilities. After a few solid outings in the NBA Summer League and the G-League, he was granted his first NBA minutes earlier this week. Here's how they played out, and where he fits into the rotation moving forward.
The Billy Donovan Rookie Treatment
Head coach Billy Donovan is infamous for his reluctance to play rookie players. In Dalen Terry's rookie year after being selected 18th overall, he only appeared in 38 games, averaging less than six minutes per contest. In Ayo Dosunmu's first month, he averaged 11 minutes per game. Matas Buzelis only saw the floor for over 12 minutes seven times in his first 20 career outings. Noa Essengue is the latest example of first-year players who aren't granted NBA minutes or the chance to develop between the lines.
Noa Essengue gets two minutes in his second career stint. It went about as poorly as possible. pic.twitter.com/jwpfH1PobH
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) November 25, 2025
Confidence is one of the most crucial aspects for a newcomer to the NBA level. One way to build that is to play through mistakes, spend extended periods on the floor to acclimate, and have opportunities to show growth on the toughest stage. In his first two appearances, Essengue was thrown to the wolves, pulled from the game immediately, and unable to find any rhythm or play through rough patches. After two showings, it's safe to assume he will not be granted another chance for a while.
Bulls Could Really Use The Help
It's challenging to assess Essengue's impact at the professional level with only six total minutes of action. However, given his size, length, age, and defensive prowess, his skills are sorely needed for one of the league's worst defensive groups. Even if the offensive tools take longer than expected to evolve, his defensive impact should be utilized while the team is rebuilding. At 9-7, and pacing for their fourth-straight playoff absence, developing the youngest assets should prevail as the newest top priority. If we do not see Essengue granted extended minutes over the next 66 games, Chicago has done a disservice.
The Bulls used the 12th pick on Noa Essengue… and through two NBA stints he’s given them:
— KevinkChi (@KevinkChi99) November 25, 2025
2 minutes tonight
4 minutes all season
0 points
0 rebounds
0 assists
0 impact
Meanwhile players drafted AFTER him are already contributing.
What are the Bulls even doing? pic.twitter.com/TOaYWkQFDz
It's too early to call their first-round selection another bust from the Arturas Karnisovas crew. Still, if he fails to contribute during his rookie year while others in the same class are performing at a starting-caliber rate, questions will be raised. Is this the last straw for Karnisovas's leadership group?
