June 29, 2018

Cristiano Felicio
C - 6’9, 280lbs - 25 years old - 3 years of experience

This was a disappointing season for Felicio, particularly related to expectation given the big contract he signed over the summer. The size of the contract necessitated improvements in his level of play over the first two seasons of his career. Instead, he only regressed.

Never seemingly in shape, Felicio also suffered for no longer has Rajon Rondo around him. As an unexplosive paint player, Felicio survived in the NBA offensively by living on the offensive glass, and for getting open in the paint through rolls and lobs. It took a playmaker and pass-first player like Rondo to do that. But without the point guards to do it, Felicio never found a usage offensively, and was merely a big ball of moving screen.

Later in the season, needing to defend their investment, the Bulls benched Robin Lopez, started Felicio, and gave him half-court post touches. This helped, a bit, and he finished the season better. He has little other than the bump-defender-twice-drop-righty-hook move, but it works a bit, and the big frame creates some space. Also loosening up defensively and moving better, Felicio played more like his rookie self in the final third of the season than in the two thirds before it.

However, that just not change the fact that it was a disappointing season. There is too much that Felicio does not do – shoot, pass, run, create, defend the perimeter, not bring the ball down, play consistently – to do that little for this much money. A better team around him would help, as it would any struggling Bull, but it starts with himself.

Player Plan: Three years and $24,156,500 remaining. Will just have to stick with it for a bit.

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June 29, 2017

Cristiano Felicio
PF/C, 6’10, 275lbs, 24 years old, 2 years of experience

Given significant rotation minutes for the first time, Felicio was effective as an offensive rebounder and put-back artist, whose lack of lateral mobility, reach and skill limit his potential. Nevertheless, Felicio will screen and roll, cut, exert great energy in all assets and be aggressive in whatever he does. Felicio can get up pretty well for a big man, and although there is no jump shot nor ball skills away from the hoop, he like Lopez ahead of him plays within what he does well, and was an important part of a good overall Bulls defensive unit with his possession winning and his energy.

Player Plan: Entering restricted free agency with a tiny $1,671,382 qualifying offer. Lacking length, mobility and ball skill, Felicio will be a career role player, but a capable one worth a pay rise.

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