Watch: Torrey Craig meets Gary Trent Jr. at the summit with a chase-down block
The Chicago Bulls signed veteran three-and-D forward Torrey Craig in the offseason from free agency. The six-year player is expected to fortify the perimeter defense of Chi-town as they try to make a deeper run in the about-to-start National Basketball Association season.
Craig saw action in 79 games for the Phoenix Suns last season, playing a key role off the bench. He wound up with averages of 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, which were all career-highs. The University of South Carolina Upstate product also shot 39.5% from three-point range. Apart from his improved offense, the 32-year-old continued to underscore his standing as a shutdown defender.
In their preseason game against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, Torrey Craig highlighted what he can bring to the Bulls this season by coming up with a spectacular chase-down block on Gary Trent, Jr. late in the third period at the United Center.
Check out the defensive play below:
Torrey Craig said he is excited to be playing in Chicago and that while they are still to prove they are a championship-contending team, he believes they have the pieces to make things happen.
He said to NBC Sports in an interview:
“We get out of this season what we put in. If we’re not playing with energy or effort or guys aren’t sacrificing, then we’re going to struggle. If everybody buys in, I think we can beat anybody in this league."
“We have good players, a lot of talent. We have defenders. We have scorers. We have shooters. We have a great coaching staff. So if we put all that together, we can win every single night in this league. It just comes down to how consistent we’re going to be," he added.
Bulls All-Star DeMar DeRozan, for his part, said that Craig is a great addition to the team with his defensive skill set. Recalling his experience with him on JJ Reddick’s The Old Man and Three podcast, DeRozan said:
“Top two players in the league that defends me the best.”
The Bulls finished last season with a 40-42 record and made it to the play-in tournament. They came one win away from securing the eighth seed after losing to eventual Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat.
When Torrey Craig lost a tooth defending Giannis Antetokounmpo
In six years in the NBA, Torrey Craig has established himself as a hard-nosed defender who is not afraid to sacrifice his body for a defensive play. This was particularly the case in one of the plays he had against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks last season.
Back in March, Craig, then playing for the Phoenix Suns, was assigned to guard the ‘Greek Freak.’ With eight minutes left in the third quarter, Antetokounmpo drove to the baseline and knocked down the Suns defender in the process.
Craig laid on the floor for a few seconds and when he got up he was searching for his tooth. Here is the clip of the play:
No foul was called on the play and Craig was able to come back and finish the game.