​The Chicago Bulls have now played half of their scheduled Summer League games. The team lost both of them, but it’s a good time to gauge the temperature on individual players and how they are contributing to the summer roster. Caleb Wilson has obviously been stellar, but last year’s first-round pick Noa Essengue has struggled through the first two games.Vs. Memphis: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 stealsAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementVs. Utah: 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 stealsOct 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Noa Essengue (24) goes up for a shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn ImagesThrough two games, it’s apparent that Noa Essengue is still not very confident in his offensive game. He simply has not been aggressive enough on that end of the floor, ultimately leading to him being benched to start the second half against the Jazz. He has totaled just nine shot attempts with only two of them coming from beyond the arc. While Caleb Wilson was always going to be the focal point of this year’s Summer League squad, Essengue was poised for a much larger offensive role than the one he has taken on.Last summer, Essengue stepped onto the floor in Las Vegas alongside Matas Buzelis. Buzelis had already established himself as the primary option, but Essengue still looked much more willing to attack than he has this week.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOne of the biggest concerns has been his reluctance to shoot from deep. The Bulls drafted Essengue knowing his jump shot was a work in progress, but Summer League is the perfect environment to test that part of his game. Instead, he has often passed up open looks or deferred to teammates rather than forcing defenses to respect him from the perimeter.The other noticeable issue has been his handle. Whenever Essengue has tried to attack off the dribble, opposing guards have consistently poked the ball loose before he could get into the paint. Even against smaller defenders, he has struggled to protect the basketball through contact, allowing defenders to disrupt drives before they ever become scoring opportunities.Physically, Essengue possesses great size and length, but his frame is still developing. There were several possessions where smaller guards were simply stronger with the ball, knocking him off his line or stripping him clean. As he continues to add strength after his injury, those situations should become less frequent, but they have been a clear weakness through two games.If Essengue wants to earn consistent rotational minutes for Chicago this season, improving his ball handling and becoming a more confident perimeter shooter will be essential. Right now, opposing defenses aren’t being punished for giving him space.Jun 17, 2026; Chicago, Il, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Noa Essengue attends new Chicago Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter press conference at Advocate Center. M