The wait is over for the first minutes of Noa Essengue’s rookie season.
The No. 12 pick in this year’s NBA draft has yet to make his Chicago Bulls debut, but Essengue finally logged some playing time Tuesday with the G League’s Windy City Bulls in a 127-114 victory against the Wisconsin Herd in Oshkosh, Wis.
Essengue was the clear standout of the game, racking up 28 points in 29 minutes on 11-for-21 shooting. But there’s a wide gap between making a strong impression in the G League and earning meaningful minutes — or any minutes — in the NBA.
Here are five takeaways from Essengue’s debut.
1. Off the ball
Essengue was a focal point for the Windy City offense — but that didn’t mean putting the ball in his hands. The 6-foot-8 forward spent the entire game off the ball and shouldered minimal playmaking responsibilities.
To his credit, Essengue made an effort to get the ball out of his hands quickly — either with a shot, a drive or a pass — every time he caught the ball on the perimeter. That’s a clear adjustment from summer league, when he frequently lost momentum by taking too many dribbles.
Essengue still is figuring out how to make an impact when he isn’t touching the ball often. He allowed himself to get caught watching the play from the corner too often, waiting until a shot went up to crash the rim hunting for an offensive board.
He won’t see a higher volume of touches when he does begin to receive NBA minutes. He’ll be in a similar off-ball role with defensive responsibilities and an expectation of efficiency in reactive situations. To succeed in those moments, he needs to improve his ability to cut and create productive motion off the ball so he doesn’t contribute to stagnancy.
2. Defensive instincts
The most game-ready item on Essengue’s toolbelt is his defensive disruptiveness. The Bulls have praised his instincts as a defender, particularly his ability to create deflections with his reach and timing.
Essengue looked active and engaged on defense against the Herd, but he finished without a steal or a block. He spent an interesting stretch matched up with two-time NBA All-Star Victor Oladipo, who now plays for the Herd on a full-time G League contract.
Making reads is only one aspect of defensive durability in the NBA. While Essengue showed some decent screen navigation, he also allowed himself to get burned on a handful of backdoor cuts due to his fixation on the ball.
His length provides a decent rim deterrent, but he still is working to bring consistent vertical presence for a full game, with a noticeable drop-off in his activity in the second half.
3. Building strength
Bulls coach Billy Donovan speaks to forward Noa Essengue during media day at the United Center on Sept. 29, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Strength is the greatest liability in Essengue’s current NBA readiness. At 18, he hasn’t fully grown into his 7-foot-1 wingspan. Every time coach Billy Donovan is asked about Essengue’s future with the Bulls, he immediately turns the conversation to the rookie’s need to spend more time in the weight room and build core strength.
Essengue didn’t always look outmatched by his opponents Tuesday. But an NBA player — especially a jumbo wing like Essengue — should overpower G League defenders with his physicality. Essengue lacks the brawn to deliver that type of punishing presence around the rim. Notably, he didn’t attempt a single dunk in his debut.
Essengue likes to invite the bump when he has managed to tuck under a defender during a drive to the basket, but he struggles with similar contact when he’s driving head on. Once he launches skyward, his core doesn’t appear to offer the stability necessary to absorb contact and adjust to a midair collision, which means he can be deterred rather simply at the rim with verticality.
It’s clear Essengue has developed tactics to work around this physical disparity: pulling back to opt for a floater or shot-putting the ball quickly toward the rim after a rebound to avoid getting jostled. And he put up a sturdy performance on the boards — eight rebounds, three on offense — despite a susceptibility to being moved off his spot.
4. Shooting with confidence
Essengue scored Windy City’s first points on a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer — a good sign for the Bulls, who want him ready to sling shots behind the arc as early into his career as possible.
In the G League setting, Essengue looked comfortable with his shot both off the catch and off the dribble in transition. He missed all four of his 3-point attempts in the second half, finishing 2 of 6 from deep, but he showed the same smooth, comfortable release.
5. What comes next?
Bulls forward Noa Essengue warms up before a game against the Pistons on Oct. 22, 2025, at the United Center. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Essengue hasn’t played a minute for the Bulls despite spending most of his time with them during the early weeks of the season. The rotation will only become more crowded in upcoming weeks as players begin to return from preseason injuries.
The Bulls need to reintegrate guard Coby White, who hopes to make his season debut next week after missing the first month with a calf injury. White’s return will create a further logjam in minutes — but it won’t solve the team’s size problem, which has been heightened by the absence of injured backup center Zach Collins.
For Essengue, the key to cracking the rotation is edging out fellow wings Julian Phillips and Dalen Terry, who combine for 11.4 minutes per game. Once he proves he can match either player for their minutes, he’ll have a sustainable path toward regular NBA playing time.