NBA Summer League: Javon Freeman-Liberty Deserves NBA Shot
Summer League is inching towards its conclusion, and while the event itself should be taken with a truckload of salt when it comes to player development projections, some players do open eyes.
One of them is Javon Freeman-Liberty, who played for the Chicago Bulls.
Freeman-Liberty played just 29.7 minutes per game, but wasted no time filling up the stat sheet. He put 21.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. He hit just over 49% of his total shots, canned 46.2% of his 5.2 nightly attempts from beyond the arc and got to the free throw line 6.2 times per game.
Even more important is the fact that Freeman-Liberty showcased an ability to move off the ball, suggesting a necessary skill to survive the transition to the pros, where he won't be handling the ball, or making decisions, as much as he would during G-League or Summer League assignments. By being able to play the role of spot-up shooter and off-ball cutter, Freeman-Liberty built himself a pathway to real NBA minutes.
Part of his skill et is also shot creation. And if a team wants to give him a serious look, it would behoove that team to give him on-ball reps during blowouts, and slowly explore if he can become an initiator at the next level.
Freeman-Liberty has good size, listed at 6-foot-4, and with a wingspan of 6-foot-9. He spent last season with the Windy City Bulls, putting up 14.8 points in 25.3 minutes, sporting a TS of 64.1%, while rarely turning the ball over.
The former DePaul guard should be intriguing for teams looking for a low-risk/high-reward situation at the end of the bench. He'll turn 24 by the start of the regular season, suggesting he's got more potential to squeeze out. At the very least, Freeman-Liberty seems like a better alternative than opting for older players like Dion Waiters, solely due to future upside.
The Bulls, who have had Freeman-Liberty in-house for over a year now, have the most data on him. They also have a glaring need for more offense. The Bulls have 13 players under contract — with Carlik Jones being fully non-guaranteed and a decision needed on Ayo Dosunmu — so there's space to offer Freeman-Liberty a partially guaranteed contract to round out the bench.
Is he certain to work out at the next level? No. End-of-bench players can go in either direction and very often end up spending the vast majority of their career overseas. However, at least Freeman-Liberty offers the Bulls something they need, and have the necessary talent to make a strong case for himself. Of anyone in the pool of fringe NBA talent, he has one of the strongest dispositions.
And who knows? There might just be a player in there. The only way to find out is giving him a chance.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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